The Stones of the Four
by Spenney-Dee
Summary: Paris is in crisis. In a desperate attempt to keep the peace, Master Fu gives a young man one of the Stones of the Four, a set of Four Miraculouses that could outmatch the power of the cats ring & ladybugs earrings when combined. But the young man given the powers soon finds that his new life isn't an adventure, and truly sees the horrors that Hawkmoth unleashes.
1. New Family in Town

'And once again, Ladybug and Chat Noir have prevented another super villain attack,' the reporter on the news announced. 'Local sports teacher and candidate for the Mayor's seat, Armand D'Argencourt, was seen turning civilians into armour clad soldiers, and marching on the town hall with his indoctrinated army.' The footage showed just that, an army of knights assaulting the old, ornate building. Chat Noir was valiantly beating down any that got near the hall, while Ladybug knocked down those who got past her partner. 'No one was harmed during the attack, nor any property damaged. Mr. D'Argencourt has since stepped down from his political campaign.'

'What a disaster,' a tiny voice piped as the television was turned off. 'If Darkblade had reached the flag, he'd have turned the entire city into his slaves!'

'This is certainly troubling…' An old man mumbled, stroking his wispy chin in thought. 'I dread to think that Hawk Moth is becoming more powerful. If this road is to continue, I fear that Ladybug and Chat Noir shall be defeated.' the man touched his bracelet, running his fingers over the cold jade carefully.

'Master Fu, you cannot!' The green Kwami whizzed up to Fu's face. You're too old to fight. Master Fu scoffed, standing from his chair. Wayzz looked concern as the man deliberately left behind his cane.

'I was made the Guardian for a reason friend. My 186 year old shell is impregnable! Wayzz, transfo-' A sickening crack filled the massage parlour. Master Fu groaned, his spine refusing to move in such sharp ways. Wayzz snatched up the old man's cane, placing under his open hand. 'M-maybe you're right. Maybe it's not my time to join the fray.' Master Fu hobbled over to the mantle. Sitting proudly in the centre of the wooden shelf was an old gramophone. It seemed unimpressive to the unknowing eye, but it held secrets that no one could _ever_ know. 'Perhaps it's time for another Miraculous to be handed out and find an owner.' The old man touched the two dragon heads decoratively emblazoned on the front. Their eyes flared red and jaws snapped open. A tiny panel opened up, covered in buttons. It seemed like a random pattern, but Master Fu knew the code off by heart. There was a the wooden record player swivelled on its base smoothly. The turntable swung open on a hidden hinge.

'It's been a while since we've done this,' Wayzz said, excited to see his old friends. Another panel slid open to reveal an ornate oriental box, slowly rising out of the recess. Fu opened the box, peering at many empty partitions. A piece of jewellery sat in each section, though many of the items were missing. Only two were present: the Bee's Comb and Fox's Amulet. The two centrepieces, the Cat's Ring and Ladybug's Earrings, were in the possession of Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng respectively. Other empty sections should hold the the Peacock's Broach and the Moth's Pin. The Broach was locked in a safe somewhere. And the Pin? It was…just lost.

'The Comb and the Anklet,' The Kwami said, fluttering down and sat on the green partition, where the Turtle's Bracelet would rest, instead of on Fu's wrist. 'Whom shall you choose to help our new hero?' Master Fu thought for a long time, a hum coming from his throat.

'I choose… none of them.' Wayzz blinked in surprise, sitting up.

'Master, a human needs a Miraculous to have powers.'

'And so they shall my friend. Have you forgotten how many Miraculouses there are?' Master Fu traced his fingers over the golden knobs that decorated the box, pressing four of them at once. A clicking sound could be heard, and two little drawers rolled out.

'Who are they?' Wayzz asked, his eyes widening.

'Old Miraculous. Ancient and powerful sentinels.' A slight grin sat on Master Fu's face. 'You were there at the Calamity, Wayzz. What do you remember of it?' Wayzz furrowed his brow, scratching the side of his head.

'I was only a hatchling at the time. But I remember that four Miraculouses fought a great evil.' He looked at the drawers, each divided into to parts of differing colours. Red. Blue. Green. Yellow. Sitting in the green was a golden bracer, decorated with brown and green threading and studs. It looked Neolithic in style, it was highly likely that it might be that old. In the red section was a golden anklet in the shape of a dragon. The decorative beads were the same alloy as the main piece, but it looked generally unimpressive.

'The Stones of the Four,' Fu explained.

'The Stones of the-' Wayzz gasped. His usually calm exterior was clearly rattled by this revelation, his eyes dilating and growing in size. 'But that's impossible, the Four were destroyed in the Calamity!'

'Only rumours and speculation, my friend. The Stones were spread across the world and hidden.' Wayzz looked off to the sky, reflecting. What happened millennia ago came back to him, as if it were only yesterday.

* * *

 _In the time of ancients, civilisation was coming up from the dirt and grime. The trade flourished, technologies were conceived. All was peaceful and right in the world. The Miraculouses were bestowed on humans of extraordinary aptitude, and they helped keep the world in order. But this was not to last. A powerful shaman killed the owners of the Cat's Ring and Ladybug's Earrings, seizing their treasures for himself. With insatiable greed and lust for power were met with the infinite power that he possessed. The world was plunged into darkness and despair. The other wielders of Miraculouses tried to fight him, but they were no match, being obliterated before they could land a single blow on the shaman. Fearing for their lives the remaining heroes were subjugated to his will. For many years they served him, only to find out his true intentions. The shaman would give himself immortality by leeching the life from his human slaves. It was then that the Miraculous wielders came together for one last hurrah. It was well known that Plagg and Tiki could join together to form a higher, more powerful form. This god like being was only two Kwami. What would happen if you combined four? The four strongest Miraculouses came together to engaged the shaman in one last duel. These Miraculouses became The Stones of the Four, four pieces that alone were incredibly powerful, but together could change the shape of the earth. The Dragon's Anklet; a piece that granted the wearer the gift of flight, and the fury and hate of fire. The Siren's Cuff; a small item that fit onto a braid of hair. The fluidity and restorative abilities of water were given to its wielder. None could compare to the speed of someone who swam when wearing it. To hear the song of the Siren was to surrender your free will over to her. The third piece of the Four was the Bear's Bracer. There was no Kwami who could muster the pure, brute strength of the Bear, or endure more pain. Finally there was the Wolf's Buckle. A strange Miraculous whose Kwami literally scared its wielder to form the bond between them. nevertheless, its powers were critical to the skirmish. The bearer's senses were increased tenfold, and they could warp short distances._

 _With the Four now One, they took on the evil shaman in a battle that would last days, turning the land barren and sick. But when the smoke cleared, only one stood. The Ring and Earrings were retrieved. The Stones of the Four knew that their powers must never be used again, lest they invite the challenge of another Calamity. So they were scattered around the world, hidden in the deepest and darkest of places…_

* * *

'The Bears Bracer, or the Dragon's Anklet,' Wayzz started. 'You think one of these shall go to someone? Which one?'

'My grandfather, father, and I have spent over 500 years trying to find the Stones of the Four, 'Master Fu explained, shaking his head. 'Five centuries we were only able to recover two. Both brave, both strong. Saris needs someone strong, able to control the fury of the Dragon.'

* * *

'Ah, Paris! What a wonderful place!' Maria smiled, turning back to her children in the back of the car. Both of them had their faces glued to the windows, enamoured by the city around them. Nikolai, the oldest of the Moreau children, was taken back by the architecture. Every pillar, every buttress, it made him beam. Anettea, his little sister, nudged him on the shoulder.

'Hm?' he grunted, coming back to reality from Imaginatinoland. 'Oh yeah! Isn't it neat? I love all the fancy decorations.' Nikolai referred to the monsters that sat on the corners of buildings, remnants of ancient gutters. Gargoyles, griffins, and dragons sat proudly and ferociously. Of all creatures that were extraordinary, dragons were his favourite; such proud, majestic beings. Nikolai was always a history buff as a kid. Whether he was reading about Saladin or Greek mythology, all of it fascinated him. Many of his teachers thought his obsession was unhealthy, and that he should focus on something more 'normal for a child of is age', referring to sports, or comic books. 'What do you think Anettea? …It sure is pretty, look at all the nice statues!' the little girl beamed, nodding at her mother.

'It certainly is a big change from Venezia.' Duccio, the father said as he flicked the indicator and rounded a corner. 'Hope my French is understandable.'

'Do you _really_ the about people turning into monsters and super villains are true?' Maria asked, concern written all over her face.

'I'm sure it's just an elaborate set of pranks by some teenagers,' Duucio hummed. 'Don't believe it for a second, it's all hogwash!'

'Yeah but wouldn't it be so cool if it was real?' Nikolai asked, leaning forward. 'The Official Ladyblog said that _anyone_ could turn into a super villain! How rad would it be to turn into a giant 20 storey high dinosaur! Then you could stomp around the city and be all like "ROAR! I'M THE GREAT MEGASAURUS REX!"' Anettea giggled as Maria and Duccio shot each other a well-known look, one shown whenever Nikolai went on his history or fantasy rants. It was a good life for in the Moreau family. There was rarely ever conflict, and they were close. Maria was a piano teacher, and Duccio was historian who worked in a museum in Venice, but transferred to the Louvre. It wasn't uncommon for historians and other scholars to teach classes in the evening, and Mr. Moreau was no exception. Nikolai had turned fifteen a couple of months ago, and his sister was nine. A happy family, one that would never foresee the trials and tribulations they had yet to come…

* * *

As the key slid into the lock for the first time, the kids barrelled past their mother and into the apartment. Their new home was a two-story penthouse at the top of a ten storey complex. They were only able to afford such a place because of Duccio's job, but more importantly, his connections. The bottom floor had a large kitchen with a bar, leading to a laundry, pantry and the master bedroom. The lounge overlooked the street below them. It was a fantastic place to host guests. The final room on the ground floor was Duccio's private office. At the moment the door was missing, as he'd brought over his old door from Venice. Anettea leapt for joy at their new home, setting down the car carrier in her arms. The beast inside, an Egyptian Mau named Serbi, scampered out of the crate. She looked glad to be out of her plastic prison, but was uneasy about her new environment.

'So do we really get our own bedroom?' Nikolai asked hopefully. In the past, he had to share a room with his sister, making their room's décor a designer's nightmare. One side was pink and filled with frilly stuffed animals and dolls. The other was red, stuffed with figures of dinosaurs, monsters, and animal bones. Maria nodded. 'I call the room with the big window!' the two children sprinted up the staircase and to the room on the right, each desperate to claim the superior of the bedrooms. The room in question boasted a large circular window that had a gorgeous view of the Seine flowing along the city, and the streets that hugged her. In the background of the shot was the Eiffel Tower in all its glory.

'What do you mean "No fair"? I got here first Anettea. No, ladies first doesn't count this time! I- Muuuuum!' Nikolai poked his head out and shouted down the hall. 'Anettea's trying to take the room that you said _I_ could have!'

'Anettea, we talked about this,' Maria responded. 'Nikolai's a growing man and he needs his own space. Plus I bought you that bunk bed for your room remember? So you can have sleepovers!' Anettea scowled, poking her tongue out at her brother. Nikolai retorted with the same gesture as she skipped out of the room.

'Nikolai,' Duccio barked from the lounge. 'The delivery truck isn't going to unpack itself, get moving!'

* * *

Sweat was pouring down Nikolai's brow by the time he'd finished. His father and him had already installed the fridge, freezer, washing and drying machines, all the furniture, and the old door to Duccio's office. Apparently he'd "borrowed" it from a cloister in his younger days, and grew too attached to it to return or dispose of the thing.

'I'll do my room tomorrow,' Nikolai looked at the daunting piles of boxes stacked in his room. Only a couple had essentials like clothes and shoes. The rest were mostly books: books on history and mythology, books that taught one how to draw fantasy creatures, scrapbooks filled with Nikolai's scribbles, books on conspiracy theories and sightings of monsters in real life, such as Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. Then there was his memorabilia: piles of ancient coins and figures of dragons and griffins, old daggers Duccio had recovered in his travels, interesting rings and bones. Where his desk sat was a computer surrounded by a pile of dozens of computer games, but only a fraction of them had actually been played. Whilst it seemed like there was a lot of things to be put away, Nikolai liked to have an almost minimalist style; crowded but also empty. Nikolai flopped onto his bed exhausted. The mattress wheezed out air as his body pushed it out. There was still some time before sundown, so he might go for a walk.

'Niki, come downstairs.' Maria instructed. 'We're going to go to that Mexican place across the road!' The lad smiled, slapping his mattress in victory. He _loved_ Mexican food. Anything spicy was a good meal to him.

* * *

Master Fu's eyes slowly opened. Wayzz looked to his human, uncrossing his legs.

'Anything?' Wayzz asked. Fu had been meditating non-stop for two whole days. Wayzz had joined in, but also made sure that the old man took breaks to eat and drink.

'I have found him.' Fu nodded.

'Who's the candidate of the Anklet?'

'A young man, Italian, age 15. He is new to the city.'

'Is a newcomer wise?' Wayzz asked, landing on Fu's knee. 'Wouldn't someone who's lived through past Akuma attacks be more experienced?' Master Fu shook his head, grabbing his cane and getting up.

'This one has a flame within. He is fierce, and brave. Plus, he will be close to Ms. Dupain-Cheng and Mr. Agreste. I wonder if they'll be in the same class?' Wayzz chuckled, looking out the window.

'Why is it always that the Ladybug and Cat are always so close to each other, but so far away? Remember how it was when _you_ were there age?' Master Fu nodded wistfully.

'It's the way it's always been, friend. And the way it is once more it seems.'


	2. First Impressions

His eyes were open before the alarm clock had started buzzing. Today was his first day of school at the Collège Françoise Dupont. While it might seem like an ordinary high school for the students, it was a very prestigious establishment in Paris. He pounded down the staircase and breezed into the kitchen.

'Morning sweetie,' Maria cooed, placing a plate of toast on the bar for him. 'You're up early, you don't need to be up for another twenty minutes. You that excited?'

'Of course I am,' Nikolai replied, his mouth full of toasted bread. 'It's my first day of school in a new city, _and_ I'm in the same class as Adrien Agreste. You know that famous model that you see for all of the fancy clothes?' You see his face all over the TV and billboards.' Anettea had been quietly munching on some cereal next to him. The girl raised an eyebrow with a cheeky smirk. 'No, don't start that!' Anettea gestured to her mother, who both giggled.

'She's not wrong.' Maria smiled, handing each of them a lunchbox. 'Such a handsome boy, and for someone so young!'

' _Madre_!' Nikolai gasped, feigning shock. 'He's too young for you, plus you have _Papà._ '

'But he's the perfect age for you, isn't he?' Nikolai was speechless. He hadn't even met the guy, and all he really wanted was to be friends. 'Go on, go get ready for school.' Nikolai trudged upstairs and threw himself into a shower. There wasn't enough to wash and dry his hair, so in a shower cap it went. Nikolai tied his hair back with a turquoise hairband. His hair was a light brown, minus the bright red stripe down the front of his hair. His face was plain, but somewhat attractive. He was lucky to have his mother's full lips and his father's strong jawline. Each of his cheeks had a light dusting of freckles, his eyes were a striking sea green, a rare sight on this side of Europe. His right ear was pierced with a small dark red decoration, inlayed with a blue topaz. Nikolai slipped on a red t-shirt boasting the silhouette of a dragon's head. Over this he put a black vest, mainly for style points. On his wrists he put on some sweat bands, mostly for comfort when he wrote and drew in class. Beige cargo shorts and black sneakers, with a white tongue, finished the look. A bottle green messenger bag was thrown over his shoulder, stuffed full of books. Nikolai took a moment to look in the mirror.

'Good enough.' He shrugged, stepping out and leaving his new home. He liked his "Easy Everyday" look, as he called it. But there was always something missing. Some kind of necklace, or other jewellery piece…

* * *

The morning sun warmed Nikolai's back as he walked the Parisian streets. It was the beginning of a new life for the Venetian, one which he would grab by the horns. Things had always been boring in Venice. He often found himself getting causing trouble because he was bored. Wasn't life supposed to be an adventure? Where was the angst? The trepidation? He'd spent all his time in books about brave heroes conquering evil, and playing video games where the protagonist had to make choices that literally changed the fate of the world. Nikolai envied those characters. He hoped one day to be in their shoes.

For now though, he had to get to school.

' _Excusez-moi,'_ Nikolai asked the barista as he purchased a juice. 'How do I get to _l' Collège Françoise Dupont_?' They motioned with his hands the walk through the alleys required to arrive at the academy. Nikolai walked as instructed, winding his way through alleys and side streets. As he skipped over a puddle, an old man of Asian descent bumped past him. He mumbled an apology and continued on. He seemed regular and unnoticeable, save for the jarring Hawaiian shirt he wore. Nikolai had a few minutes to spare before class started. He spent the time searching up on this school and the students. Totally normal and not creepy activity. Best to know what he was up for and that he didn't make himself look like an idiot. Nikolai's ears perked up as he heard a bottle smashing.

" _Bit early to be hitting the drink."_ Nikolai thought. The sound of a rubbish bin crashed on its side, its contents spilling out followed. There was a cry, followed by several grunts. Nikolai frowned, heading back into the alleyways. Apprehension tugged him away from where he was going. Class would start soon, and he didn't want to be late on his first day. In an alley that went of the already dark alley, he saw the source of the noise. Three burly men were standing over the old man, kicking and punching him.

'H-help me!' the old man wheezed, reaching out a shaky hand to Nikolai. Cowards! Beating an innocent old man. As Nikolai took a step, the school bell rang. Class was starting! He couldn't be late on his first day! But he couldn't leave the man in a time of need. What person would sentence anyone to pain and humiliation such as what he was witnessing? Nikolai had to intervene. But one teenager against three buff guys? He knew his fate before he'd even joined the fray. But if they were distracted with him, then the man could escape. _That_ was what mattered. The Venetian frantically searched for a weapon. At his feet were a glass bottle, a rubbish bin lid, and badly dented frying pan.

'Oi!' Nikolai shouted, chucking the bottle. It missed by a country mile, but the shattering of glass was enough to startle the thugs. ' _Partire quella signore solo, bastardi_!' The abuse in Italian was enough to get them to turn to him. Nikolai shook like a tree in a storm but stood his ground. The men glared, cracking their knuckles and necks intimidatingly. The old man used his cane to get up and hobbled away, looking behind as his attackers closed in on the lad.

'Get 'im'.' one slurred. Nikolai picked up the pan and lid, bearing them like sword and shield against his assailants.

* * *

Caline Bustier glanced at the clock between stroked on the chalkboard, frowning.

'Where is he?' she mumbled. _Madame_ Bustier made it protocol that she always meet with her new students before the first class, to help them out. No only had Nikolai missed that, but not he was over 30 minutes late! 'Let's keep the chatter down, class!' All of the students in the class were born in Paris, so a foreigner was a big deal.

' I heard he's part of the Gondoliers!' Nathanaël whispered excitedly to the class. The Gondoliers was a social club that originated from Venice's Council of Ten, but now there were much more of a hoity-toighty social club for the Venetian elite. 'That must mean he's pretty rich, right?'

'Well obviously not as rich as Cholé,' Sabrina put in, looking to her idol and only friend.

' _Obviously,_ ' Chloé tutted, too busy filing her nails to care.

'There's a new student?' Marinette grunted, returning to reality from her daze. She'd been up all night, claiming to be studying, but in truth she was all over the city chasing robbers. Alya looked at her bestie, shaking her head.

'Don't you remember the announcement yesterday?' Alya tutted. 'Girl, you're such a klutz!'

'Leave me alone…' Marinette mumble, stifling a yawn. 'What's her name again?'

' _His_ name is Nikolai, and he's moved to Paris from Venice.' Nino leant back, his hat tipping off his hat. Alya caught it and stuffed threw it on his desk.

'Have you heard the music that comes from Venice?' Nino asked. 'Their techno and DJ's are lit! Hopefully he can show me some good songs.'

'Okay, let's get back to the work thank you!' the teacher ordered. 'I want the chapter analysis done by recess. Remember that you need to look in depth at the relationship between Heathcliff and-' The door was thrown open, slamming against the wall. A ragged figure stood there, bent over and heaving for breath.

' _Scusami_?' the young man panted, looking up. Sabrina screamed, quickly joined by others gasping in shock. The man's face had been beaten to a bloody mess. One eye was already swelling over and a large cut on his forehead spilt blood into the other. His clothes were torn up, and bag trampled. 'Is this _Madame_ Bustier's class? I'm the new kid.'

'Oh God,' the teacher gasped, running to his side. 'What happened to you?'

'Old man…getting mugged…helped out.' Nikolai panted, his body swaying. 'Idonfeelso…' He'd passed out before he even hit the floor.

* * *

Sunlight shot into his eyes. Nikolai groaned, turning his head away. He came to on a strange bed, in a strange room. He didn't know this place 'Where am I?'

'You're in the nurse's office.' A voice said. It was young, too young to be the medical expert. Nikolai sat up, seeing a young man. He had an incredibly handsome babyface, boasting thick blonde locks and deep green eyes. 'You were hurt pretty badly. You sure you're okay?'

' _Si, grazie,_ ' Nikolai nodded. He squinted at the blondie but his eyes were quick to shoot open. 'Wait a minute, you're Adrien Agreste!' The model smiled hit trademark grin, one that was well known in the world. Paris was especially targeted by advertisement, as _Gabriel_ was proud of its poster boy.

'Yep, that's me,' Adrien said modestly. 'I don't think I caught your name?'

'Nikolai Moreau.' Nikolai offered his hand. Adrien hesitated, still not used to social etiquette. Adrien took the hand and gave it firm shake. Another male cleared his throat.

'I think there's a police officer waiting outside, I'll go get him.' A male wearing headphones and glasses said. Nikolai shook his head, placing a hand on the side of it.

' _Mi dispiace,_ I didn't know there were others here!'

'Well who do you think carried you in?' A young woman in a chequered shirt smirked, squishing her bicep. 'Those two fops couldn't lift a wet towel!'

'F-fops!?' Headphones turned to her, grabbing her wrists playfully. Chequers laughed playfully, throwing more insults at Headphones. 'Why I oughta-'

'Mr. Moreau?' A police officer interrupted as he stepped into the office. 'Lieutenant Roger. I'm here to take a report. A Ms… Dupain-Cheng, made the call'

'Here!' a fourth teenager chimed, raising her hand as if for roll call. She was cute, in a chic, innocent way. With her pigtails, pink keans and tiny purse, she seemed the friendly kind.

' _Grazie mille, signorina.'_ Nikolai thanked her, smiling through the bruises.

'Uh…' she grunted, his Italian like an alien language to her.

'He's saying "Thank you very much", ya goof!' Chequers said. The other girl nodded in realisation, giggling.

'Oh! Well you're welcome!'

'Excuse me, but I do have other work to do,' Officer Roger cleared his throat impatiently. He took out a notebook and pencil. 'Now explain to me what happened.'

* * *

'Getting into fights on your first day!' Maria's lecture continued. 'What kind of first impression were you trying to make? What about your father's reputation?' Nikolai sat on the a couch that was still wrapped up in moving plastic. 'This is _unacceptable_! I can't believe you'd be so stupid!'

'She's right,' Duccio grunted, sitting across from him. A scowl sat on his face, glaring. 'Do you know how much of a gamble it was to move to Paris? We packed up our entre life to come here, and you're ruining it!'

'I'm sorry,' Nikolai said. 'But wasn't _in_ a school fight! I saw an old mag getting mugged and I tried to help. What was I to do? I couldn't leave him!' His parents were clearly enraged, not wanting an argument.

'And what would've happened if you got seriously hurt? Do you think I'd be able to handle that?'

'You're a boy. You aren't a policeman, or some sort of hero.' Duccio scolded. 'Next time leave it to them.' Nikolai got up with a huff and stomped up the staircase. The bedroom door was slammed behind him. Nikolai winced as he flopped onto the bed. The salve his mother applied to his face smeared on his pillow as he rolled around.

" _How is ANY of this fair?"_ Nikolai thought, glaring at the roof. _"I did a good thing. Shouldn't I be congratulated? I mean yeah, I did get my arse kicked, but still…"_

'Isn't this supposed to be a city where you get superpowers and wreak havoc?' Nikolai mumbled to himself. 'Why can some people get the superpowers and be the hero? It's not fair.' He lay in the bed for some time, his eye eventually growing weary. As he rolled over to sleep, he noticed a box on his desk. He didn't leave it there this morning. Nikolai sat up and approached it. It was a tiny black and red box, covered in ornate Chinese styled decorations. Had Anettea left it? Was it a housewarming gift? Nikolai carefully lifted the lid, he gasped at what lay inside.


	3. Kwami

A serpentine head came off a golden, diamond shaped gem. Bat-like wings were spread on each side. A tail coiled downwards like a lightning bolt. Coming off of the horns was a golden string, decorated with spherical beads of the same shade. Nikolai lifted the jewel out of the box. It seemed old, possibly ancient. The surface of the jewel seemed to have an underlying scar, but was covered by some kind of vanish. However as worn and as damaged as it was, it looked as pure and shining as the day it was forged. Nikolai slipped the band on his arm, but as soon as the cold metal touched his skin it fell off. He tried again, but with little success. It seemed too loose around the arm. but there was no way it could fit around his neck. Where could it go? Nikolai kicked off his shoes and slipped it over his right ankle, where practically clicked into place. The lad kicked his foot around, admiring the jewel. The dragon bounced lightly on him, but the band stuck in place. Nikolai shrugged the phenomenon away, choosing instead to sift through the papers on his desk. Most of them were flyers that had been put into his locker before he arrived. Leaflets for student elections, clubs that were recruiting members, the school's fencing team competing with an opponent establishment, all things that he wanted to try, or at least look at.

'That sure is a lotta stuff,' a voice squeaked. 'Ya gonna do it?'

'Maybe,' Nikolai answered, scrunching up a flyer for the Sewing Club. 'I think for the moment I just want to fit in, make some friends and such.'

'Dude, your face is _messed_! Ya get beat up by a bully?'

'I was mugged. Now please _va via,_ I'm not in the mood to-' Wait. Who was he talking to? He'd shut the door behind him, he'd have heard if someone had entered. It wasn't a voice he recognised. Who was it? Nikolai winced as he slowly craned his neck around. A small, orange body floated beside him a tiny dragon! It's oversized head tilted curiously as it stared at him. It blinked one turquoise eye at a time, fluttering is maroon wings.

'We should go find them!' the creature beamed, bearing his tiny fangs. 'I can teach them a lesson or two.'

'Yeah maybe.' Nikolai mumbled. He reached across his desk for a mason jar that held his stationary. 'I don't remember their faces though.' The lad emptied it carefully, making sure not to make any noise and frighten the strange creature. It looked around at the bedroom with wonderment.

'This place is… very interesting.' The miniature dragon zipped over to a shelf and inspected each of the items on it. Its paws grabbed an ornamental dagger and tried to take it from its sheath, but to no avail. 'I do not recognise this design. Is it Minoan?'

'Oh that?' Nikolai said as he stood up, he crept towards the dragon, open jar in hand. 'It's a dagger got for me when.' _Steady now,_ 'Was…' _Only one shot at this._ 'Was in, Egypt!' The next moment the dragon was imprisoned in a glass prison. Nikolai slammed the jar back on the desk.

' _Allucinante_!' Nikolai gawked, pulling out a magnifying glass. He examined the catch like a scientist would a new discovery. 'A real live dragon. But how?' Dragons are a creature of fantasy. There's no evidence of them _actually_ existing. Perhaps he was concussed and delusional.

'Buddy,' the dragon knocked on the glass. 'Can you lemme out? I gotta-' There was a tiny squeak and a cloud of thick black smoke filled the tiny prison. The dragon coughed and spluttered, pressing his snout against the glass. 'Hell, I'll do it myself!' The dragon phased through the glass, causing Nikolai to nearly jump out of his skin.

'How did- Who _are_ you?' Nikolai asked as he regained balance in his chair.

'Didn't the old man tell you?' the dragon tilted his head. 'Name's Draggo. I'm your Kwami.'

'My what?'

'Your Kwami,' Draggo said slower. 'So you know nothing? The Miraculous? The Cat's Ring? The Ladybugs Earrings!?' Nikolai shook his head slowly, squinting at the "Kwami" with his one good eye. Draggo sighed, rolling his particularly large head on its axis. 'Look, ;let me make this simple for you.' The Anklet? You wear that, and you can communicate with me. You just say the word and I'll make you into a Champion!' Nikolai burst out laughing. A champion? What was that supposed to mean?

'You're funny, _poco creatura_ , whatever the hell you are. Are you even real, or am I just concussed?'

'You know of the Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir? How do you think they got their powers?' Nikolai turned to the creature, which folded its arms and had a smug look on its face.

' _You_ give them their powers?'

'Not me, but others like me. So you wanna be a hero, kid?' was that a question that needed to be asked? Who _wouldn't_ want to be a superhero? A chance to fight evil? To be loved by the masses? It was an opportunity that Nikolai didn't want to miss.

'So how do I do it?'

* * *

The Kwami spent the best half of twenty minutes explaining all of the rules. Wearing the Anklet, the special powers of the Anklet, the limited time that the wielder had before detransforming, the basics of flight.

'Flight!?' Nikolai gasped. 'I can fly?'

'Well I _am_ a dragon, so yeah.' Draggo said sarcastically. 'The last Champion had two pairs of wings!

'Can I breath fire?' The thought made the boy almost bounce from his chair. Breathing fire like a chimera, or more appropriately, a dragon, was something that he always wanted to try. In Venice he often saw fire breathers in Carnevale, a citywide, week long festival, one of his favourite times.

'No. I can't even breath fire.' The Kwami seemed upset that he couldn't spout flames.

'What was this you said about a time?' Nikolai asked. He'd been scribbling down notes as the dragon lectured at him, tyring to remember as much information as he could.

'Once you use my special power you'll start a five minute timer. The gem, eyes, and string on the Anklet turn a shade of turquoise while you're in form. These parts will beep and revert to their original colours in segments. If you can't finish the fight, get outta there.' Nikolai nodded slowly, humming in thought. Five minutes wasn't a lot of time. In a fight it would go by in the blink of an eye. 'if you're ready to go, you need to say "Draggo, flames up!"'

'Draggo, flames up?' Nikolai asked. As soon as the words left his lips, the Kwami disappeared at the Anklet caught fire, engulfing the lad in a hot, blinding light.

* * *

Nikolai opened his eyes, groaning. He put a hand to his head, sitting up. Why was he on the floor? Why could he smell something burning?

'Draggo,' Nikolai groaned. 'What'd you do to me?' There was no answer from the dragon. Nikolai blinked in confusion as he got to his feet. He was no longer in pain, feeling perfectly fine. Nikolai jumped as he looked at himself in the mirror. ' _Merde!'_ The ugly black eye that dominated his face was gone, leaving his soft, pink flesh. All the cuts were gone too, as if the blows had never been thrown. That was well and good, but his face was the least of his concerns, his clothes were gone. In their place he wore an orange skin-tight suit. It had a cream coloured "underbelly" section, from his jugular, his outer chest, and down to his inner thighs. He wore wine red gauntlets and boots that blended into the orange suit with a jagged pattern separating them. Each glove and boot had two razor sharp spikes on the outer edge, possibly for catching onto surfaces, or combat. The suit had multiple highlights of the wine colour. Two large stripes across his shoulders, three smaller in the small in his back, and a thin line around the underbelly. Around his waist was a shawl lined with turquoise gems. The belt fell behind him, folding and twisting into a long thick tail.

'Wha?' Nikolai poked at his body. It wasn't normally this well-toned or muscular. This was the body any guy his age would dream of: slim, tight muscles, good looking. Nikolai leaned in closer to inspect his face. His red highlights in his hair were gelled into pointed ears, and the red fringe plastered to a mask that covered the upper half of his face. What frightened Nikolai the most was that his eyes had become slitted, like a reptiles, and the whites dyed a faint green. The four canines in his mouth were longer and more pointed. The young teenager jumped up and down excitedly. Here he was, an actual dragon! Something that had only ever happened in his dreams, now a reality. At a time like this, there was only one thing to do: take his newfound powers for a test run. Nikolai's desk sat in front of a large window that led to the fire escape. The window slid open smoothly and Nikolai clamoured on up to the roof. It was an ordinary evening. The sun was in his last stages before setting. Cars rumbled in the streets below and the ventilation shafts around him hissed steam and gas. As Nikolai waled the roof, he felt a weight on his back, two things dangling to him like giant leeches.

'So I got wings. How the hell do I use them?' The Venetian reached behind him and tugged on one of the extra appendages. It was like someone was pulling on his arm, only on his shoulder blade. He could really _feel_ it! Even though he could feel them wobble around, he had no idea how to control the things. Nikolai tried jumping in the air multiple times. All that achieved was him looking stupid. He reached behind him to pull on the wings. He ended up spinning in a circle to try to get a grip, like a dog chasing its tail. Again, he looked like an idiot. There wasn't anything Nikolai could do, only think about it. He pictured himself soaring over building tops, under bridges and through the Eifel Tower.

 _Fwomp!_ Nikolai yelped and staggered forward. The huge wings had spread themselves. Each wing had three large leathery segments, joined at a hinge that was covered in a sharp crystal spike.

" _So they're operated by thought,"_ Nikolai thought. To test this theory, he imagined himself landing, wings folding. Magically, the extra extremities contracted back to their original position.

'Guess it's time to be a hero.' Nikolai shrugged. He ran for the edge of the rooftop, a toothy grin on his face as he took a leap.

* * *

His grin was short-lived. For a few, perfect moments, he was flying. Wings spread, arms out, it was majestic. The next thing he knew he was plummeting to the ground.

'Shit!' Nikolai cried as he tumbled. He could hear screams below him, the civilians thinking that he was someone leaping to his death. He threw his arms out. Stretching them as far as they could go. He was lucky that this righted himself. His all his might, Nikolai Stretched his shoulder blades back. The wings shot out, filling out. The crowd below looked on in shock as he soared over them. A triumphant Venetian teenager beamed as the crowd gasped underneath him. The wind was deafening in his ears, worse than putting a vacuum cleaner right next to his ear. The tail between his legs whipped his calves, constantly snagging on the spikes on his legs. Each time this happened, or a large gust of wind hit, it sent Nikolai swerving in another direction.

' _Merde.'_ cursed he as he righted himself. Much like the movements a real bird, the tiniest shift in wing shape could change direction, speed, and altitude. Below him, car horns blared, and people were causing a ruckus. From what he had heard about Paris, this was unusual. Nikolai gave a great push, soaring down to the source of the commotion. Yet this action, would have dire consequences…


	4. The Janitor

As Nikolai flew further west, the sounds of anarchy grew. Screaming, car alarms, sirens. Plumes of smoke drifted up into the air, filling his nose. But there was also the smell was mixed with the sting of detergent and soap. Nikolai descended sharply, to investigate. Too sharply, in fact. He stumbled and flopped around as he landed, falling flat on his face. Nikolai propped himself up on one elbow, looking at the people around him. They wasn't one what was not panicking. They were all running in one direction.

'Hey,' Nikolai said, grabbing the ankle of a woman, causing her to jump. 'What's going on?'

'It's horrible!' she wailed as others pushed past her, almost trampling them both. 'People are being turned into-' An almighty splashing noise erupted to their left as a tsunami of lemon froth splattered onto the buildings across the road. Foam splashed in all directions, the acidic soap burning whatever it touched. Stone, metal, even flesh. Nikolai got to his feet and staggered to a lamppost, the lemony fumes making his head spin. Down the boulevard he spied a huge figure rampaging about. He wielded a huge hose that spewed out the vile foam. A spark ignited the foam around him, causing the ground to rumble as it exploded. A figure screamed at it went flying through the air. Nikolai's feet were rooted to the spot, refusing to move despite the person flying in an arc that would land directly on him. Nikolai caught a glimpse of blonde and green before eating the pavement for a second time.

'Owie…' Nikolai moaned, rubbing his head.

'Sorry about that,' the humanoid projectile chuckled, leaping to his feet. 'Thanks for the soft landing!' This person was a young man with thick, flowing blond locks. He wore unordinary clothes, rather he was clad in a tight black leather suit. His face was hidden by a mask and a pair of ears that were studded to his hair. The blondie frowned, tilting his head. 'Who're you?'

'My name's-' Nikolai bit his tongue. He was a superhero now. What was the first rule of being a superhero? Never reveal your secret identity. 'Dragon…fire. Yeah, Dragon Fire!'

'Dragon Fire!?' the cat man laughed as he hoisted Nikolai up.

'Well what's _your_ name?' Dragon Fire snapped.

'You don't recognise me? I'm the one and only Chat Noir.' _The_ Chat Noir! In front of Nikolai! He was a celebrity on the internet. The news of the Akumas was going viral across the world, and the heroes who fought them were just that. Heroes. Everyone loved them.

'You're _the_ Chat Noir?' Dragon Fire gasped. 'I'm a big fan!' in his civilian form, Nikolai had poured over hours of reports and footage, mainly from the Ladyblog, on Chat Noir and Ladybug. 'What's going on? Is there an Ajuma nearby?'

'An _Akuma.'_ Chat corrected with a chuckle. ' _Oui_ , there is one in the area. You'd best skedaddle while you can.'

'You kidding? I'm the new hero on the block! Imma kick its arse!' Dragon Fire spread his wings and flapped them several times. As he jumped up to fly away, he was jerked to the ground by his rear.

'Urk-' Chat Noir gasped in unison with the strange dragon cursing: ' _C_ _he diavolo?'_. Both teenagers turned to find that their tails had ended up tangled together. The cat couldn't help but giggle as they untied their extremities and ran in the direction of the Akuma. Dragon Fire had a toothy beam on his face as he followed Chat. The childish person inside him was in seventh heaven. Here he was, running to save the day beside a genuine superhero! What more could a boy want? A young woman in a tight suit summersaulted out of the way of a blast of the foam, whirling something in front of her, forming a protective barrier in front of her.

'You okay kitty?' the woman asked, her pigtails bouncing in time to her head movements.

'Better now that I'm with you!' Chat stood on her right, drawing a small metal rod from his belt. It expanded into a full grown baton, the length of a broadsword. With it the black cat deflected the few shots that got past the woman.

'Who's your friend?' she looked at the dazed man who wore what looked like a bootleg Charizard onsie. That or a really bad scalesuit.

'I'm Dragon Fire,' declared he. 'I've got a Miraculous too!'

'Janitor mad!' the Akuma bellowed as he oulled a comically large spray bottle from its belt. 'Must clean!'

'Look out!' Dragon Fire warned as the Akuma fired. Without thinking, Dragon Fire dove for Ladybug, apushing her out of the way. Chat managed to slip out of the mist's arc of fire, but his arm took a hit. He hissed as blue bubbles burnt through his suit.

' _Merci,_ ' Ladybug said distractedly as she pushed the Venetian off of her. 'Can you keep it distracted? Chat needs my help!' Chat Noir could be seen in unbearable pain, howling as the acidic liquid scolded his skin. Ladybug didn't wait for an answer as she went to aid her partner. Dragon Fire shrugged as his wings shot out. The appendages heaved down, sending the young Venetian rocketing skywards.

'Hey dirt-bag!' the Venetian shouted. The Akuma snapped around, his eyes full of hatred being compared to the thing that he hated most. Dragon Fire swooped down towards him, fist out in front of him. 'You missed a spot!' There was a sickening crunch as the hero's fist landed square in the Akuma's nose. Janitor groaned, staggering back and clutching his nose. Dragon Fire crashed to the ground cradling his wrist. Nikolai had never thrown a proper punch before, and the impact had jarred his entire arm. Despite the Dragon Anklet giving its wielders great strength and resilience, the boy inside was not built or trained for battle. Dragon Fire was so busy groaning about his hand that he didn't notice the ground shake as Janitor loomed over him.

'You are dirt.' The Akuma rumbled. Janitor reached over his back and pulled a giant mop from its sheath. The end was soaked, dripping in soapy fluids that scent was so strong it made Dragon Fire's head dizzy. 'Must be cleaned!' Janitor swiped across his body with the mop wildly. The head of the mop skimmed past Dragon Fire's head as he rolled out of the way. Dragon Fire turned and pressed the attack, swinging with an uppercut and a roundhouse kick. The blows bounced off the Akuma, as if they were a from a fly harassing someone. Janitor jabbed the butt of the weaponised cleaning device into Dragon Fire's gut. The Venetian doubled over, wheezing. The Akuma was unrelenting, bringing the mop head down on the back of Dragon Fire's skull, and swinging it like a cricket bat into his victim's face. The flurry of blows sent Dragon Fire flying back, smacking into a thick lamppost. Dragon Fire felt a hot sticky liquid flow down the back of his head and his vision blurred. He put a hand to the source, finding out that it was his blood. Dragon Fire's world spun. He was too dazed to move and could only watch as Janitor lumbered towards its prey. The Akuma stood over Dragon Fire, staring. It pondered how to execute the lad, slowly going through the many tools and chemicals at his disposal. Dragon Fire grimaced as he craned his neck to look for help. Ladybug, Chat Noir, the police, anyone! But no one came… Janitor finally decided to finish the Venetian off with a metal dish scrubber, whose iron coils were rusted and spiked. 'Now I'll make you clean!' Janitor roared, bringing the weapon down. Dragon Fire flinched away, bringing his arms up as a last-ditch effort at saving his life.

* * *

His eyes were screwed shut, waiting for the inevitable. Yet nothing came. There was no additional pain, nor the strike to bring him down. Dragon Fire opened his eyes nervously. A shining turquoise object had intercepted with the scrubber. Dragon Fire had bumped the crystal on his right gauntlet. This had stimulated the crystal to grow and change form. Five large shards had grown up the length of his forearm, providing a protective shield. what had actually blocked the scrubber was a long, thin plate of crystal, which tapered into a long, pointed blade. The end was primarily for thrusting, but the whole blade was sharp enough to cut through stone. Dragon Fire's eyes lit up. Like Chat Noir had his staff, and Ladybug her yo-yo, he had a sword! With this new weapon, a surge of confidence lit a fire within his spirit.

'I won't go down,' Dragon Fire grumbled, wrestling against the Janitor. 'Not that easily!' The Venetian's newfound strength did not go to waste. He was able to push get to his feet and push the Akuma back. Dragon Fire roared as their blades were locked together and he was pushed back with such force that the Akuma went through a storefront window. Janitor was annoyed rather than anything else.

'Must clean!' bellowed he as Janitor jumped buck out onto the street. 'You dirty, must clean you away.' Holding the mop over his head, Janitor bellowed a battle cry and charged. However this time Dragon Fire was ready, he spread his wings and launched himself into the air. An opponent like him might be stronger than him, but he was slower. Dragon Fire had the aerial advantage over his foe. He'd kill the monster with big bites, rather than an all-out assault. The crustal sword clashed against the shaft of the mop, sending sparks flying. Janitor swung with large, wild strikes, each one was deflected. Nikolai Moreau was an adept combatant in the German and Italian styles of fencing, and such skills were vital when fighting with a sword. Janitor was immensely strong, dwarfing Dragon Fire's own skills. The Akuma managed to batter through Dragon Fire's defences and give him a vicious backhanded slap. The blow sent Dragon Fire sprawling. Dragon Fire coughed, wheezing as he got to his hands and knees. His primal instincts told him to fight, but he was outmatched. He tried to retreat, crawling away from the monster. But the Akuma's strides were too great.

'Time to die, worm!' Again, Janitor raised the mop, aiming to impale Dragon Fire with the pommel.

 _"Chat Noir, Ladybug, where are you?"_ Dragon Fire thought moments before he felt the mop driven between his shoulder blades. Yet he felt no pain. The thick armour on his back was hardly dented by the blow that would have killed another.

'I'm here!' Ladybug cried as she lobbed her yo-yo. The weaponised toy coiled around the mop. Ladybug smirked as she wrenched it from the Akuma's hands. Dragon Fire was still on all fours, panting heavily. He closed his eyes, concentrating on recalling what his Kwami, Draggo, had said.

" _Every Miraculous has powers, but each of them has one that is more powerful than the rest"_ The Kwami's voice rang in his head. _"You can harness the power of the Dragon's Anklet by throwing your fist in the air and crying out the name Dragonheart. You have ONE command. Then you have only five minutes before you revert back to your normal form. Use it only when you must!"_ With Janitor disarmed and distracted, there was no better time. Dragon Fire couldn't defeat the Akuma by himself, but with his power he could.

'Here goes nothing,' Dragon Fire mumbled, taking a deep breath and throwing his fist to the sky. "DRAGONHEART!" As soon as those words left his lips, his world caught on fire…

* * *

As the word of power was uttered, the Anklet burst into an orange flame. It consumed Dragon Fire's leg and was quick to consume him entirely. Ladybug look on in shocked horror as she met Dragon Fire's eyes. All she saw in them was fear. Fear of this unknown entity. Fear of what he had done. Fear for his life. A cyclone of inferno engulfed Dragon Fire, who shielded his face from the flames. But there was no burning. The only pain he felt were from his injuries from Janitor. His lungs remained pure from smoke, as if the fire siphoned only clean air to him. But the heat, the _heat_. He could feel his skin tanning in his armour, the dye in his hair cracking. As the flames left his body they floated skywards into an orb. Dragon Fire fell forward to his knees and heaved in the air. It was an ordinary temperature but to him it was like ice, after being in that cyclone. The orb of fire above him pulsed with lifelike attributes. It exploded with an ear-splitting roar. The ground shacked as a gargantuan wyvern crashed onto the pavement. The ethereal beast roared, throwing its monstrous head to the sky. Ladybug covered her ears, wincing as her eardrums thumped. Janitor used this moment to grab the heroine by the sides and hurl her into the river. Dragon Fire stood staring at the creature in awe. He was terrified, ready to run home crying with his tail between his legs. But his wonderment held him in place. This thing that he had created, this magical being that was staring at him. Dragon Fire gingerly reached out a hand to touch the monster. As his hand got closer, he could feel the heat through his gauntlets. It burnt and hurt, but in a good way, like stretching out a cramp. Just as the hand would touch the wyvern, it snorted, making Dragon Fire flinch back.

' _Orderz…'_ A deep, bestial voice rumbled. It was as if the voice came from within the Venetian, not without. He shuddered, shaking the alien feeling from him. He turned and pointed at the Akuma known as Janitor, who was gloating at Ladybug as she clamoured out of the river.

'Defeat the foe!'

* * *

The eyes of the summoned beast flared, glaring at its target. Ladybug climbed back up onto the street to see that Janitor had been pinned beneath the razor-sharp claws.

'What is it doing?' Ladybug gaped. 'Make it stop!' the wyvern snarled at Janitor, magma-like saliva dripping from his teeth.

'No! Please!' Janitor begged. Gone was the horrible personality of the Akuma. It was as if the human within came out. The monster showed no mercy, snapping Janitor up in his jaws. The Akuma's legs snapped in unnatural directions as he was shaken like a dog would a toy. Dragon Fire's face was etched with horror as the monster threw the Akuma's body away. Before it could hit the road, the monster unhinged its jaw, bellowing flames at the Akuma. All that was left was a pile of smouldering ashes. No bones, just embers.

' _Fottimi.'_ Dragon Fire mumbled, a sinking feeling in his stomach growning. The wyvern seemed satisfied with its work. It gave its master a curt nod, dissipating into thousands of fireflies that drifted away on the wind.

'You!' a female voice roared. Dragon Fire spun around to see a dripping wet and very angry Ladybug stomping towards him. 'What the hell did you do?' she pointed to the pile of ash. 'You killed him!' Dragon Fire put his hands up defensively, backing away. But her words struck a chord in him. The colour drained from his face, he realised what he'd done. This wasn't what he wanted. All he wanted was for the foe to be incapacitated, not murdered!

'I…' Dragon Fire mumbled, stars flying past him. 'I didn't mean to.'

'That was an innocent person! He was corrupted by Hawk Moth!'

'Innocent?' From the ashes, a small black and purple moth emerged. It shivered the remains off of itself before taking to the air.

'There!' Ladybug grabbed Dragon Fire's chin and jerked it in the direction of the bug. 'That's an Akuma. _That_ is what makes people turn into monster and do bad things. You're meant to _release_ the Akuma, not kill the person!' the Miraculous Ladybug swiped her finger across her yo-yo and spun it around, snaring the moth in the process. 'I should have you arrested.'

'Now now, we all make mistakes.' A voice said. They both turned to see Chat Noir approaching, one arm in a sling. As soon as the Akuma was purified and released, Ladybug ran to her partner's side.

'You okay, Chat?'

'Just some acid burns, petal. Nothing to worry about.' Chat Noir put on a charismatic smile, playing the cool boy, but Ladybug could see the grimace that the grin hid.

'Doesn't sound alright,' Dragon Fire said, raising an eyebrow. 'You want me to fetch a medic?' Ladybug threw her yo-yo skywards, shouting her name as she did. The toy weapon burst into a plethora of red and black dots. They swarmed in all directions, sweeping across everything in sight. Magically, the damage that the Akuma had dealt to the city was repaired. Crashed vehicles were put in their place, as good as new. Shattered glass was pieced back together, nary a scratch or crack on them. Chat Noir's arm seemed to repair itself, the sinews of flesh stitching into a soft layer of clean and healthy muscle and skin. All was well in the city, minus one thing.

'W-what?' Ladybug gasped. Where the Akuma last stood was not a human, nor villain. Instead all that was there were the smouldering ashes. She'd _seen_ the magic wash over them several times, why hadn't they healed the person? The Miraculous Ladybug put a shaky hand over her mouth as she choked on tears. 'Why isn't he coming back? I thought that I could…' The blood drained from Dragon Fire's head. He saw stars as a dreading feeling smacked him. Had he just killed that man? No, it was an Akuma. That's what you're supposed to do!

' _Merde_ ,' Dragon Fire started. 'I uh… I'm sorry. I didn't know that-' The Venetian grunted in surprise as Ladybug swung at him. Her petite fist made a crunching impact against Dragon Fire's jaw. He fell on his rear, wincing as his rump crushed his tail.

'Woah,' Chat Noir stepped between the pair, putting up his arms to separate them. 'Settle down, m'lady! Remember when _we_ first started this gig? We made tons of mistakes. This kid is just a newbie!'

'Noobie?'

'Chat, he just killed a man!' Ladybug spat, glaring daggers at the downed hero.

'I know that, dear.' Chat Noir tried his best to calm the enraged heroine by pulling her in close. 'But it wasn't his fault. If he hadn't called that monster, you'd have had the spots washed off of you!' Ladybug pushed the cat away and pointed a finger at Dragon Fire. The Venetian's throat clenched and his heart stopped, terror seizing him.

'I never want to see you again. If I do, so help me God I'll-' Ladybug glowered and shook a fist, turning her head away from him. With that Ladybug turned on her heal and strutted away.

'She seems nice,' Dragon Fire said sarcastically, rubbing his welting face. 'I _hate_ _to_ _see_ _her_ _go_ but I _love to_ _watch_ her _leave,' Chat Noir chuckled with a wry grin. The anklet around Dragon Fire's ankle beeped and the shining blue strings lost their colour. 'Sounds like you better get out of here.' Dragon Fire sighed as he slowly got to his feet. His guts churned and tipped as he did, feeling sick._

'Listen, Chat, I know I fucked up. I'm sorry that-'

'It's alright _mon ami_ , you're still a hatchling. It takes time for a lizard to mature.' The Venetian gave him a blank expression, clearly not understanding the cat's poor attempt at a joke. 'Get it? Cuz you're a dragon, a flying lizard.'

'I got it,' Dragon Fire rolled his eyes. 'Guess my superhero career's ended before it even started huh?'

'Nah, you just need to learn how to fight the Akumas. I saw that swordplay of yours, you're pretty decent, just needs refining.'

'Yeah well I'm used to actually holding a sword, not having it strapped on my arm.' Dragon Fire brandished the sword in question, which was still on his arm. The razor blade glinted in the dusk light, the five large shards that protected his arm hugged his limb tightly. The Venetian had no idea how to sheath the weapon. Dragon Fire remembered that in the conflict with Janitor, he'd bumped the crystal stud on his right gauntlet when shielding himself from a blow, he tried to press the crystal shards that acted as a scabbard. Nothing happened. 'Still trying to figure out this suit…' Dragon Fire mumbled, swiping his hand away from him across the crystal. The blade detached and clattered on the asphalt. One of the jagged crystals on the armguard shifted over Dragon Fire's hand and crackled as it extended outwards, forming a new blade. Dragon Fire blinked in surprise. Detachable blades? That could prove useful… Next, Dragon Fire swiped his left hand over the gauntlet towards him. Immediately the crystals compacted and folded back into each other until there was nothing left but the stud on his gauntlet.

'How about we meet up tomorrow for some training?' Chat Noir offered. 'I'll be at _l'Arc de Triompe_ at four o'clock tomorrow.' Dragon Fire gave an enthusiastic nod, a grin on his face.

'See you then!' Dragon Fire spread his wings and flapped them a few times. He jumped into the air triumphantly, but his effort was all but wasted, as he immediately ended up back on the ground. The Venetian cussed and tried running forwards while flapping the wings on his back wildly. He shakily managed to take off, slowly ascending into the sky like a bird that had only just learnt to fly.

* * *

 _Île de la Cité_ , the centre of the city of Paris. The Moreau family was extraordinarily lucky to have found a home on the small island. But Duccio Moreau expected nothing less than the very best. He'd used his connections to annex the home they now occupied from a famous wealthy doctor. The ornate building was only a few blocks from _l'Palais de Justice_ , making it very easy for Dragon Fire to find his home from a bird's-eye view. The sun had finally set as Dragon Fire landed on the fire escape stairs outside his bedroom. He slipped inside as the timer on the Anklet had finally reached zero. From the crown of his head, a ring of fire swept over him, leaving behind the civilian named Nikolai.

'Hoo! Yeah!' Draggo roared, flying out of the gauntlet and zipping around the room. 'I haven't felt a rush like that in ages!' The Kwami began pounding his minuscule claws against the window frame, adrenaline pumping through his system. Nikolai was breathless, stepping down off his desk and slumping onto his bed. 'I can't remember the last time a fought something that strong. We kicked arse!'

'No we didn't,' Nikolai sat up, scowling at the tiny creature. 'I just killed a man! Oh fuck…' a wave of nausea washed over him, remembering the crime that he'd just committed. Nikolai reached for his paper bin and heaved into it, trying to throw up what little contents were in his stomach.

'Kid, you didn't kill anyone.' Draggo started, perching on a pile of change on Nikolai's desk. 'That Akuma was an abomination, it deserved to die!'

'But Ladybug said that they always save the corrupted person. Why didn't we?'

'Because Janitor was too strong. It would have destroyed you.'

'Even so, murder isn't the answer.' Nikolai felt only a little better be putting up his afternoon snack into the bin, tossing it aside. Draggo fluttered backwards to avoid the stench and any flying bile. 'When I called Dragonheart, I ordered you to _defeat_ Janitor, not turn him to a pile of ash!' The blood of that man was on Nikolai's hands because of Draggo. He wanted to strangle the Kwami, but his strength was spent. 'Every other baddie that Ladybug and Chat Noir have fought, there hasn't been a single casualty. But on our first time out and we kill a man!'

'Because, they're weak.' Draggo growled. 'They'd rather use their powers to heal and purify the Akumas. Is it not better to just annihilate them?' Nikolai didn't respond, rather burying is head into a pillow and screaming. He was a killer, a murderer. There was no doubt about it. Draggo sighed, his ears and wings drooping. 'Look, it was my fault. Don't beat yourself up kid. I'm sorry. From now on I'll follow your orders to the dot.' Nikolai looked up at the Kwami. He was the expert on this thing, he knew what was right and wrong. He'd have to trust him.

'Alright,' Nikolai said, sitting up. 'I'll have to keep telling myself that you were the one that did it and not me though…'

'Yeah whatever, you got any food? I'm starving.'

'There's an apple in my bag.' Nikolai answered. The tiny dragon scrunched up his face and gagged.

'Bleh! Not apples, that is plebeian food. Bring me something with fire!'

'Like chillies?'

'What are the ones from the far-away-land called? Chile gordo?' Nikolai had never heard of a chile gordo before. He pulled his mobile and did a quick google search.

'Oh, jalapeños? Yeah, we have some in the kitchen somewhere.'

'Bring me these "Hall-a-peen-os", they are my favourite!' Draggo bounced on his laurels excitedly. As Nikolai got up, he couldn't help but look in the mirror. The injuries that he'd sustained that morning were gone. No crooked teeth, no black eye and fat lip. The power of the Dragon's Anklet healed him, incredible!

'Honey?' Maria, Nikolai's mother, said as she knocked on the door. She opened anyway, not waiting for her son's consent. 'We're going to that restaurant down the road, the Mexican place that Annetta saw and- Oh, look at your face, I _told_ you that Nona's special poultice fixes everything!'

'Yeah, it was that.' Nikolai agreed with a nod, shooting Draggo a wry look.


	5. Second Chance

The stones of the four chapter 5

Most mornings, Nikolai would have been awake at 7:45 to be ready for school at 8:30. This morning was different. The alarm was set for 6:30, just as the sun began to crawl over the horizon.

" _Buongiorno_ , Draggo." Nikolai yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Did you sleep well?" "Too early…" the Kwami mumbled. During the night, the tiny dragon had curled itself around a decorative coin that Nikolai had collected. "Dragons need sleep!" "Stay there then," Nikolai switched off the alarm and found his slippers. "School starts in a couple of hours, but I had things I needed to prepare first." Sneaking down to the kitchen, the Venetian rummaged around through the fridge, pulling out what seemed to be just random food items. Yet there was order in his chaos. Letting the oven warm up, he began to stir all sorts of ingredients together. " _Aux armes, citoyens! Formez vos bataillons_." Nikolai hummed. " _Marchons, marchons! Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sill_ -" "With your hair down like that, I almost mistook you for a beautiful young lady!" A voice chucked behind him. Nikolai jumped around, almost spilling the dough laced with brandy, almonds, and vanilla extract. "Mother!" Nikolai breathed, calming down from the fright. "You startled me. Would it trouble you if there was a young lady making food here instead of _moi_?" " _Si!_ No one is going to take my _bambino_ away from me!" Maria pinched her son's cheeks playfully, observing what he was making. "Why do you have pistachios and honey if you're making biscotti?" "I'm also making nougat!" Nikolai responded, placing the bowl of dough in the fridge. "Although, Nona never taught me how to make it…" "That's because your Nona does not know how to make _real_ nougat! Come, let me teach you how the Spanish make it!" . . The messy hour of cooking passed quickly. Soon it was time to go to school. "Hey, time to get up!" Nikolai announced as he returned to his room to change. "C'mon!" Draggo pretended to be asleep still, snoring with comic loudness. In the time that Nikolai was gone, the single coin the Kwami was resting on had turned into three, and Nikolai's keys. "I hope you aren't planning to start a horde. Mochi is the king of the hordes round here." "Who's Mochi?" Draggo opened one eye and raised an ear. "Never heard of that Kwami." "Dasts becaush e's da cat!" Nikolai answered, hairbands sticking out of his mouth. "How many Kwami are there, anyway?" "It's hard to say, really." Draggo shrugged. "So many were lost after the Merge. Those that survived were hidden…" Draggo looked saddened by telling his human that. It was a bad memory for all who were alive back then. Nikolai only looked at the tiny creature in complete obliviousness, every word of that answer flying right over his head. "Right… Anyway! We gotta go to school!" Nikolai opened a pocked on his cargo pants, waiting for the dragon to whizz inside. The jangle of loose change brought him like a moth to fire. Kissing his mother and dear little sister goodbye, Nikolai Moreau stepped out his door for the first day of school, for real this time! Laden with two containers full of nougat and biscotti, he aimed to make amends for his 'introduction' yesterday. Walking down the streets with the sun on his back, just like yesterday, he retraced the steps he took to the café. "There it is," Nikolai nodded to the building across the road. "Le Collège Françoise Dupont." "That's where ya got mugged?" Draggo asked, nestled among the lose change. "Nope, it was in that alley." The Venetian hesitated before entering the grounds, his bag bouncing on his side nervously. "What's wrong kiddo?" Draggo asked, escaping from the cotton refuge of the cargo pants.

"I'm nervous." Nikolai admitted. "I kinda fucked up yesterday."

"You'll be fine! C'mon, I'm sure that the kids are all waiting to meet you!" Nikolai took a deep breath and ascended the stairs. The central courtyard was littered with students who were socialising amongst themselves. The Venetian tried his best to avoid the crowds, hanging to the edge of the open area. As soon as Madame Bustier unlocked the door, the students flooded in. Nikolai waited for all of them to enter before approaching the door.

"Big smiles!" Draggo whispered from the pocket. Nikolai stood sheepishly at the door, waiting for the teacher to notice him.

" _Monsieur_ Moreau?" Madame Bustier looked surprised at the student's presence. "It's good to see you! I thought you'd be at home after what happened yesterday."

I'm surprised to see you on your feet after yesterday, let alone at school!"

"How could I miss class?" Nikolai gave a wry grin. "I could never!" The students gave a quiet chuckle, still wary of the Venetian. In their eyes, his entrance yesterday made him appear to be a thug and delinquent.

"Class, I'd like you to welcome our new student!"

" _Salve_!" Nikolai waved to the students who peered at him. "My name is Nikolai, and I come from Venezia!" Through the boy's grin, he was absolutely terrified. "I umm... I wanted to apologise about what happened yesterday and explain it. See I was walking to school when I saw an old man getting mugged in an alley. I tried to help him. Emphasis on tried." Upon hearing this, almost all of the students saw him in a better light. A couple even smiled!

"Do you have something for us?" Madame Bustier asked, looking at the large containers the new student had in his hands.

"Oh yes! To help make it up, I made biscotti and nougat!" The smell of the freshly made treats wafted through the room as Nikolai opened both containers, walking to each student and handing them a piece of both sweets. All the kids were kind, taking one of each and thanking him. Well, all except one girl, who turned up her nose and looked the other way.

"Suit yourself..." mumbled Nikolai, leaving the blonde girl alone.

"Now that you've done that, why don't you sit with Adrien and Nino?" The teacher suggested, though it was more of an order. As soon as he sat down, the class began.

"Hey," whispered a young man wearing headphones. "I'm Nino!"

"We met yesterday," Nikolai shook his open hand. "Thanks both of you for helping me."

"That was very admirable what you did," the other man, the one who Nikolai knew was Adrien Agreste, smiled. "Paris needs more people like you."

" _Grazie_ , I-" the Venetian stopped, seeing that his arm was in a sling. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"You heard there was an Akuma attack last night? It got me in the arm with some acid." Nikolai would have pressed further, but the teacher gave him a look to be silent.

* * *

It was lunchtime when the kids filed out of the room to take a break. With no one else to talk to, Nikolai followed Adrien and Nino. They sat at a table, and the boys were soon joined by the two girls that were in the nurse's office the previous day.

"Thank you both for yesterday!" Nikolai smiled. "You two really were a big help!"

"Only because I was the one who carried you!" The girl with the glasses laughed. "I'm Alya, and this is Marinette!"

" _Bonjour_ ," she smiled. "I really liked your biscotti!"

"Thanks! It's a family recipe."

"I don't think I've ever seen you sell biscotti at the patisserie," Adrien said.

"Oh!" The petite girl gasped, alarmed to be noticed by her crush. "N-no, we don't. Papa can never find a good recipe."

"Seems like Nikolai will have to teach you!" Nino smiled, drumming a beat on the table.

"I'll have to ask nonna first, but I'd love to!"

"Adrien!" A voice cried as the blonde girl from earlier crashed into the model. "I missed you this morning!" She hugged him like they were a couple madly in love.

"Did you?" Adrien smiled, trying his best to escape her clutches. "That's nice." The girl turned to the new student, looking him up and down.

"They say your father is one of the Gondoliers. How far back does your family go?"

"The League of Ten." Nikolai answered, still wary of the young beauty and the red-headed girl following her.

"Good," she nodded. "I suppose that means we're both upper class, though you don't dress like it."

"What's wrong with how he dresses?" Marinette snapped.

"Oh here we go..." Nino sighed, slipping on his headphones to block out the catfight.

"I'm not talking to you, baker's girl!" The model hissed. "Didn't you ever learn that interrupting people is rude?" She turned back to the Venetian, still clinging to Adrien like a koala does a eucalyptus branch. "Since you're clearly above these people, I'll allow you to be friends with me. I'm Chloe Bourgeois."

"Charmed," Nikolai said, though his tone clearly showed that he was not.

"When you bore of these people, I'll show you what proper company is like. I'll see you soon, darling!" Chloe kissed Adrien on the cheek before leaving the group, her friend following her heels like a pup would it's master.

"What's wrong with the way I dress?" Nikolai mumbled, looking down at his garbs. "I mean they're a little old, and I guess I can loose the sweatbands..."

"Don't listen to her!" Marinette shook her head. "Chloe always puts everyone down and herself above us just because her dad's the mayor!"

"Your clothes are fine dude!" Nino slapped him on the shoulder. "Keep the sweatbands, they make you look like a warrior!"

"That was the idea..." Nikolai laughed, growing hot in the cheeks. He was not used to being the centre of attention, let alone having a group of friends. In Venice, Nikolai was a loner, finding the company of books and his drawings better than people.

"Excuse me," a voice squeaked behind him. "Nikolai?"

" _Si_?" The Italian turned around. Standing there was a small girl with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Beside her was a much taller girl, who's hair was long and had purple ends, mirroring the colour of her eyes. They were most likely contact lenses, he thought. "Ah, I saw you two in class! I'm Nikolai!" He stood and offered his hand, which the blonde fits and took and shook excitedly.

"I'm Rose Lavillant, and this is Juleka Couffaine!"

" _Bonjour_..." Juleka mumbled, she was obviously shy.

"It's so nice to see a new face around here! I hope we can be friends!"

"So would I!" Nikolai beamed. "Would you like to sit with us? There's leftover nougat and biscotti!" Rose had plonked herself down before he'd even finished the offer. Her friend thought for a few moments, but eventually sat beside Rose.

"Nikolai, have you heard of the Miraculous Ladybug?" Alya asked, pulling out her phone.

"She's one of the reasons I was so excited to come to Paris! Superheroes and villains battling it out in the city!"

"Did you see the Akuma attack last night? There were two attacking at once!"

"Two?" Adrien raised his eyebrows. "I only saw one!" Alya rested her phone on the table and began playing footage that had been recorded last night.

"There's Chat Noir and Ladybug!" Sure enough, the heroes were battling the Janitor. The footage cut to Ladybug taking the wounded Chat away. "There they are!" On the screen played the battle that Nikolai had fought the night before. "For some reason, they turned on each other, how exciting!" Rose usually tried to avoid news of the Akumas, especially since she had been corrupted by one. Juleka, on the other hand, was enthralled with all things dark and mysterious.

'She thinks I'm an Akuma?' Nikolai thought. 'I need to tell her what's what!'

"Don't reveal anything!" A voice hissed from his pocket, the Kwami's head poking from the hole. "We have to keep it a secret!" The Venetian kept that in mind when he said what he did.

"I do not think that smaller one is an Akuma," Nikolai suggested. "Since when have Akumas fought each other? And look at when he's with Ladybug and Chat Noir, he's talking to them, not attacking them!"

"He has a point," Adrien agreed. "I reckon this mystery man is just a new Miraculous holder!" The fight progressed while they discussed, returning their attention just in time for Ladybug to punch Dragon Fire in the mouth.

"That would have hurt!" Rose gasped.

"I bet..." Nikolai mumbled, his jaw still sore from the impact.

"He deserved it though!" Marinette voiced, her palm slapping the wooden table. "Did you see how he used his power to kill the Janitor? He was supposed to destroy his weak point!"

"Well maybe Dragon Fire was only using his power for the first time and had no idea how to use it!" The Venetian retorted, anger starting to flow through his tone. "Ladybug was too harsh on him!" Marinette glared at him, rising. The others looked in shock at the conflict that had arisen. Nikolai and the girl with pigtails were at a stalemate, glaring at each other. They were almost nose to nose, much like the night before. That was, until a grin grew on the boy's face. Both of them smiled, and began to snicker. The tension dissolved as quickly as it arose, and both heroes were laughing.

"Maybe she was a bit too harsh," Marinette cooed, sitting down.

"Nah, she was doing what was right! That Dragon Fire dude is an idiot!" The few minutes before the lunch break ended were filled with Alya showing Nikolai her blog and all the great information she had collected on the mysterious lady.

"Nice save," Draggo whispered from his pocket. "Don't get too chatty though, or I'll burn your room down!"

* * *

The last part of the day was over before he knew it, and soon Nikolai was packing his books into his locker. The mobile phone in his pocket buzzed, giving him a gentle reminder.

 _Training with Chat Noir. Arch de Triomphe._ The Venetian threw his bag over his shoulder and jogged outside.

"Hey Nikolai!" Nino, Alya and Marinette were standing at the bottom of the staircase. "We're gonna pick up Jagged Stone's new album. Wanna come with?"

"I'd love to!" Nikolai pounded down the stairs. "But I can't. I have a... a dance lesson! _Si_! I'll see you tomorrow, _arrivederci_!" And with that, the Italian boy was running the other way, towards the centre of the city.

"He dances?" Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't look the type, does he?" Alya snickered. Retracing the steps he took that morning crossing the bridge over the Seine. A dancer he was, but only in secret.

" _Hola_ Nikolai!" Maria smiled. She sat at the piano, a child with her trying to play. "You got home fast, how was school?"

"It was great!" Nikolai stomped upstairs, throwing his things down.

"Did you make any-"

"I'm going out, be back soon!" the Venetian slid down the bannister and out the door, slamming it behind him.

"...friends?"

* * *

Just down the street was a public lavatory, which Nikolai occupied.

"Ready?" he smiled as the Kwami fluttered from his pocket.

"Let's do it!" Draggo beamed, squirming in excitement.

"Draggo!" The Venetian thrusted his arms out, fists clenched. "Flames on!" He remembered how only the night before how terrified he was when the Kwami zoomed into the anklet on his limb and swallowed him in flames. This time, he was almost excited. As the fire dissolved and only a few embers drifted down, he went to the mirror to admire the suit. As always, his hair, eyes, and teeth had changed along with it. The Venetian cared little for this, as it only adds to the intimidating look of Dragon Fire. Beside him he heard a camera flash as a gobsmacked man took a photo of him. Leaving the lavatory, Dragon Fire stretched his wings, looking to the sky. Where most people only saw blue sky and clouds, Dragon Fire could see much more. Wind currents, the tiny insects drifting in the breeze, wind thermals, pockets of air where hot air collected and rose. All things that a creature in flight could use to their advantage. One great push from his wings sent Dragon Fire airborne, much to the shock of the citizenry around him. Some ran, thinking he was an Akuma. Others were curious, capturing the spectacle on their phones. But Dragon Fire cared little for them, eager to reach the Arch de Triomphe. Dragon Fire circled the great monument, spiralling downwards as he did. The occasional pedestrians gave him a wide berth, eyeing him with suspicion. People looking at the clock on a nearby building, the time ticked past 4 o'clock, when he was meant to meet Chat Noir. Was the cat preoccupied? Did he forget? Or was an Akuma-

" _Bonjour_!" A voice said behind him. "Did I keep you waiting?"

" _Non_ , Chat Noir." Dragon Fire replied. "So! Training begins!"

"That it does." The cat reached behind him and pulled out his baton. "Shall we?" The staff extended to a great length, and the cat flew upwards. Dragon Fire gawked as he landed nimbly on top of the monument constructed by Napoleon to commemorate the French Army.

"Are you sure we're allowed up there?" Dragon Fire asked, scratching his mask. "Isn't that illegal?"

"We're superheroes! We can do anything!" Chat grinned cheekily. "C'mon, baby lizard! I thought you could fly!" Dragon Fire huffed, falling for the jeer. The wings on his back stretched out and lifted him into the air. The dragon landed next to the cat, which was pacing the arch.

"What's the first lesson?" Dragon Fire asked. "How to fight an Akuma? How to catch the black butterflies? Oh! What about-"

"How about we start with something a little easier?" Chat suggested. "How long have you had your Miraculous?"

"A day," Dragon Fire answered.

"Right, then the first thing you should do is learn your suit inside and out. Let me look at you." Chat Noir kicked Dragon Fire's legs apart and held his arms out. The veteran hero prodded and ran his fingers through all parts of the Venetian's suit. "Overlapping wings. Strong and flexible."

"I'm still learning how to use them properly." Chat tugged at the thumb on the wing.

"These spikes are made from the same material as your sword. Could be a useful weapon!" This is not what Nikolai expected when there was to be training. In his mind they were going to fight! Chat Noir teach him how to defeat evil Akumas safely.

"You have a tail, like me!"

"Can you use it?" Nikolai asked, feeling Chat tug on said tail.

"Not like it is a limb. I can only use it if I hold it. Now, where's your communicator?"

"My what?" Dragon Fire blinked in surprise.

"Your communicator!" Chat Noir took out his baton and showed him the telecommunications module. " _Méprise_ , I've got my work cut out for me…" Dragon Fire was fiddling around with his suit, eager to find said communicator.

"Where are yours and Ladybugs?" Dragon Fire asked, pushing his gauntlets through his belt.

"Mine is on my staff and hers is in the yo-yo." Assuming that his would also be related to his weapon, Dragon Fire tried tapping the crystal on his right gauntlet. There was no response. He tried swiping the left. Still nothing. As a last resort Dragon Fire pressed the gem. It began to glow, producing a screen above it.

" _Eccezionale!_ " Dragon Fire gasped. The screen was holographic, Chat's paw phased right through it. There were several tabs, each with their own purposes. There was a tab filled with contacts, a tab for calling them, another for texting them, and most amazingly, a GPS! "Wow, it even shows the locations of the contacts!" Dragon Fire could clearly see his father and sister at the Louvre, and mother at home. The few people that had given Nikolai their phone number, like Alya, Nino, and Rose could also be seen. Marinette seemed to be at the patisserie. Where Adrien Agreste was, however, was a mystery.

"Interesting." Chat Noir whistled. "Here, I'll give you mine and Ladybug's number." Simply having the two devices near each other made them sync up, and Dragon Fire copied over the contacts. "Now that we've done that, let's start with some basic unarmed combat."

* * *

"Whew," panted Drago, an hour later. The pair of heroes had concluded their training and had parted ways. "I'm buggered."

"I bet," Nikolai yawned, his muscles aching. Chat Noir was a ruthless trainer. Having the Miraculous of destruction, it was reasonable that he was harsh.

"The greatest lesson is pain," the cat said after beating down Dragon Fire for the umpteenth time. It was harsh, but true. Being a Miraculous holder was not a game. It was a dangerous, and often life threatening burden. The Venetian unlocked the door to the family apartment to be instantly glomped by his sister.

 _"Buongiorno,_ Anettea. How was your first day of school? …That's great to hear! And you made some friends?" His questions were met with silence, but the young girl answered them through her body. "How was the staff with her?"

"Unbelievable," Duccio answered. "The school has handled her perfectly and she's fitting in well!"

"That's so good to hear!" The siblings cuddled up on the couch together, flicking on the television. "Only the best for my _sorellina!_ " Anettea looked at him with pouting lips, but smiled as she snuggled into his embrace.

"And where did you run off to?" Maria asked, putting down her book.

"I was hanging out with Adrien and Nino," Nikolai lied as Mochi, the ocicat found its way into his lap. "I can't believe how friendly the people are here!" Drago had emerged from his pocket at the scent of the feline, and investigated the creature. Mochi seemed to know he was there, sniffing back.

"Why do you say that?" Duccio asked, busy chopping up vegetables in the kitchen.

"You'd think that with all the Akumas, people would be suspicious, and wary!" Anettea tapped him on the shoulder, her hands a flurry of gestures. "Anettea's also got a point after what happened in January this year." The family did not need press further. January 7th, 2015, dark day in Paris and on free speech. Drago seemed oblivious to their discussion, trying to acquaint himself with the cat. Mochi pawed at the Kwami, who received a face full of fur. Draggo seemed infuriated, and puffed a jet of smoke into Mochi's nose. The cat meowed angrily, scampering away.

"Be nice," Nikolai grumbled to the Kwami.

"He started it!" Drago protested, fluttering away. "I never liked cats anyway."

"Well our partner is now one so get used to it!"

"Who are you talking to?" Maria asked, raising her perfect eyebrow.

"O-oh!" Her son stumbled, clearly flustered that he'd been caught. "I was just er… reciting a live from a video game I was playing at Nino's! Yeah! It was awesome! There was this man who dressed up as a cat, and-" Maria blotted his rambling out, giving her husband a well known look. They loved their son, but god did he ramble about the strangest things! Yet he was making friends in Paris, and life was looking for the best for all of them…


	6. Vision

A week and a half passed, and all was quiet in the City of Love. Nikolai Moreau attended each day of _l'_ _Collège Françoise Dupont_ with a smile of his face and heart on his shoulder (and Kwami in his pocket). Each day Nikolai was embedded further into the fellowship of friends. Nikolai saw Adrien as not his friends, but almost as brothers. Alya and Marinette were never far behind, always adding much needed wit and sass to their conversations. Juleka and Rose were used to spending their time with themselves, but were becoming more and more involved with the group. Every day after school, Nikolai met with Chat Noir at varying locations. The cat pushed him harder than he would have ever gone in civilian form. Combat, running, acrobatics, all these and many more did Dragon Fire's personal sensei teach.

"Quiet," Dragon Fire mumbled on one such afternoon. "Too quiet…"

"What makes you say that?" Chat Noir asked, leaning against the railing. The pair were atop the Eiffel Tower, as per Chat's request.

"Two weeks. It's been two weeks since the last Akuma attacked. Aren't the attacks more frequent?" A gust of wind howled, blowing his long hair about. The wings upon his back caught the wind, the bone-like parts that held the skin taught rocked like the boom of a sail.

"Hawk Moth's Akumas attack at random," Chat answered, his head lolling back to watch the clouds. "It's never happened where they attack more than once a month." Dragon Fire would have pressed further, but Chat Noir seemed eager to begin lessons.

"So what's this exercise for again?" Dragon Fire asked, his turquoise eyes looking into Chat's green.

"The most important thing that a Miraculous user needs is trust," Chat Noir started, pacing with his hands behind him. "You and your Kwami are no longer man and Miraculous, but a fusion of the pair."

"A what?" Dragon Fire scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

"This of it like it's… think of it like bread! You are the flour, the base. The Miraculous is the water, and the Kwami is the most important part, the yeast! When mixed, it becomes something new, but all the original parts are still in there."

"I didn't know your secret identity was a baker," Dragon Fire chuckled. "I guess I'll keep an extra eye out for cute bakers~"

" _Merci!"_ Chat Noir laughed and scratched the back his head. A faint reddish tinge grew on his cheeks, clearly not expecting the compliment from his apprentice.

"I didn't know you swung that way," Chat shrugged.

"I don't," Dragon Fire replied. "But I'm always open to experimenting."

"That aside, it's time to begin," Chat produced several bands of red fabric from his belt and tied them tightly over Dragon Fire's eyes. The several layers left nothing but darkness for him to see. Yet strangely, he was not completely blind. In the distance far below him he could see shifting blobs of red and orange. Turning to Chat, Dragon Fire could see him in perfect detail. Where there was black leather, blonde hair and green eyes, was instead a mix of red, orange, and yellow. "What's wrong?"

"I can still see," Dragon Fire admitted. "But not normally. I think I can see heat. Like, all I see are reds and stuff."

"Like thermal goggles? _Très sec!_ I have night vision." Chat Noir grabbed Dragon Fire's wings and tied them together, giving the subject the end of the rope.

"When you're ready, tug on it and your wings will release."

"Why would I need to release my wings?" Dragon Fire could feel himself being manhandled up on top of the railing. "Chat, what're you doing!?"

"This is a trust exercise. Your actions must be one. Trust in your Kwami, and the tools you have, and you'll be fine." Before Dragon Fire could respond, Chat shoved the dragon with all his might, sending him plummeting.

* * *

Dragon Fire hurtled through the air, spinning uncontrollably. If it weren't for the fact that people were most likely watching, he would have screamed his head off. Even if he did it wasn't like he'd hear himself, the wind was deafening.

' _Trust in the tools you have, and you'll be fine.'_ Chat Noir's voice rung in his ears. The only wools available were a communicator he couldn't see and a sword. _'Fantastic, might as well have tied a few bricks to me too, Chat!'_ Dragon Fire thought. One thing did strike him as odd though. With every spin he made, there was a lone yellow orb. A bonfire? A pocket of hot air rising? Dragon Fire could faintly see several pillars rising up, thermal pockets of hot air rising. It had to be-

"The Sun!" _That_ was how he was going to get out of this. Using his thermal vision!

The Venetian counted how long it took for his body to make a rotation. Approximately two seconds. After the first and the sun whizzed past, Dragon Fire stretched his limbs as far as they could go. His spinning halted and he stabilised, now facing the ground. The Miraculous holder reached behind him for the rope, having let go in the panic. All he had to do was pull it at the right time, or he'd end up painting the pavement a nice shade of guts and brains. Below him were several people, a mix of tourists and Parisian citizens watching in horror as he fell. "Look at where they are. I can use where they are to…" Dragon Fire gripped the end of the rope in his hand tightly, the talons of his gauntlets digging into his pals so hard he almost bled. The people on the ground screamed as the police cleared the area to avoid any casualties in what they thought to be a gory suicide.

' _Oh how wrong you are,'_ Dragon Fire thought, grinning smugly before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Trust. Nikolai had to trust in the Dragon Anklet, and trust in Draggo. The Anklet seemed respond with a buzz, sending a signal through his body. Dragon Fire tugged on the rope, the binding coming loose from his entangled wings. The extremities shot out, each fold of skin stretching to their maximum capacity. The crowd beneath him seemed to cheer, seeing that he was no longer hurtling downward, but away from the tower. It was obvious now that he was not a man doomed to die, but a holder of one of the mysterious and recherché Miraculous. Dragon Fire flew faster than he had ever done before. Buildings whizzed past with a blur, and all he could hear was the deafening scream of the wind in his ears. From the _Tour Eiffel_ , Dragon Fire zoomed towards _La Seine_ , deciding to follow the course of the river. Despite having almost no vision he could still 'see' where things were. The cars rolling down the roads and sun heating the river's surface were a life saver to him. With each graceful beat of Dragon Fire's mighty wings, their tips running across the surface. Despite the breakneck speeds he was going at, the Venetian felt a calmness inside of him. He felt free. Ahead of him he spied two conglomerates of heat chugging under the _Pont des Invalides_. The Anklet murmured again, urging him onwards. There was less than an arms width between the vessels, a space soon penetrated by a blur of orange, maroon and turquoise, instantly followed by a thundering wind so forceful it rocked both ships precariously. Dragon Fire beamed, preforming a lazy aileron roll down the street south of him. The _Avenue du Maréchal Gallieni_ was an avenue lined on either side on lawns. Even though they were for public use, no one touched the grass, like they were sacred. Drifting lower, Dragon Fire could hear the buzz of car horns and hollering of people. They were curious about the dragon-man flying overhead. The Venetian dearly wished to remove the blindfold that covered the majority of his face. The old Parisian architecture thrilled him every time he gazed upon it. Nikolai was a nerd a heart, and found he was drowning in ecstasy thanks to everything he did. The park stretched on for more than a mile, leading to a palace made from white marble and gold. In his civilian form, Dragon Fire had read about this place. _Les Tombeau de Napoleon ler_ is the resting place of the great Emperor Napoleon I. He wished to visit and pay respects to the man. The Venetian was strange like that. Where others admired and looked up to celebrities, like Gabriel Agreste or Jagged Stone, he saw greatness in the conquerors of the past. Napoleon Bonaparte, Fredrick Barbarossa, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Was it their sheer determination? Was it their ability to lead thousands to achieve their goals? Maybe Dragon Fire admired them for-

"Oof!" the Miraculous wielder grunted. Dragon Fire was so busy thinking of other things that he had almost forgotten he was mid-flight. Where Dragon Fire was aiming to land on his feet had met him too soon, thanks to being blind. Instead on landing softly on his feet the dragon flopped and rolled to a stop on the roof's tiles. His breath was ragged, sweat pouring down his forehead. Even though part of his hair was almost fused with his mask, the rest of it joined, thanks to his hair gel and sweat turning into a gluey substance. Dragon Fire had just a few moments to rest before a pair of feet thudded lightly beside him, followed by the sound similar to a retracting telescope.

" _Bon,"_ Chat Noir smiled. " _Très, très bon."_ Chat Noir ripped away the strips of fabric away from the dragon's face, making him groan as the light blinded him. "What's wrong? I thought lizards liked the sun!"

"Heh," Dragon Fire chuckled, rubbing his eyes. "Why were you following me? I can handle myself!"

"Someone had to make sure you didn't end up as roadkill!" Chat Noir gave him a toothy grin as he hoisted his friend up. The pair sat at the edge of the roof, watching the world drift by. The afternoon sun reflected of the turquoise jewels on Dragon Fire's tail, casting a rainbow of refracted lights.

"You're good," Chat Noir stated after a few minutes of silence. "You used what you had to save yourself and flew with skill. I donno about that trick with the boast though."

"You didn't like it?" Dragon Fire smirked. "I thought it went swimmingly!"

"Oh buoy, I sea what you did there!" Chat Noir snickered. "Puns are my speciality!" the duo laughed, clearly glad that the other was a comedian.

"Chat you're probably not gonna believe this, but I felt something. Something I've never felt before." Chat Noir turned to him, his green eyes piercing the blue of the dragons.

"Do tell, _mon amie,_ " Chat Noir smiled happily. The breeze made his perfect blonde locks sway gently, like the grass on a summer evening.

"The Dragon's Anklet. It…it talked to me! I don't know how, but the thing was telling me what to do, when to move!"

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Chat smiled, leaning back on his elbows. "I remember the first time that happened with the Cat's Ring and Plagg." The blonde hero twirled his staff in his off hand whilst Dragon Fire fiddled around with the communicator on his wrist. "Y'know what DF? I think you're going to be a great addition to the team."

"Team?" frowned 'DF', as he was called. "What team?"

"The team of Miraculous holders! You, Ladybug, and I!" Dragon Fire paused, thinking for a few moments.

"I don't know…" The dragon mumbled. "You and Ladybug already have a good thing going. I don't want to mess that up." Chat Noir frowned too, but shrugged it away and gave him a toothy grin.

"We do have a good thing, her and I." Chat agreed. "But fighting these Akumas isn't getting any easier. Every one Howk Moth sends is stronger than the last. Besides, it'd be good to have an extra person watching our backs!" Dragon Fire mulled over this, tapping his temples. Though he liked the idea, Dragon Fire felt like he would only get in the way, or be an accessory to them. While he admired what Chat Noir and Ladybug did, all they did was stop Hawk Moth's Akumas, they didn't go after the mastermind himself! Perhaps he wanted to work alone to solve the issue himself.

"I'll consider working with you," Dragon Fire eventually said. "So long as next time we're on the Eiffel Tower, I get to push you off!"

"Deal!" Chat Noir laughed, extending his hand. Dragon Fire took it in his own, shaking it firmly. "Welcome aboard, champ!"

* * *

Parisian streets were always crowded with people from all walks of life, this was something that locals were used to. But even today was a struggle for them.

"Why's it so busy today?" Nikolai asked as he led the chain of held hands through the crowd. It was a cold morning in January. Snow covered the streets and everyone was rugged up in thick coats, scarves, and mittens.

"The _Gabriel_ department store is having a huge sale," Adrien answered, the next in line. "I could get you some stuff free if you wanted?"

" _Grazie,_ you're took kind. If I took you up on that offer my mother would have the entire store emptied!"

"Didn't you read it in the latest edition of _Numéro?_ " Alya asked. The group of seven cleared the crowds and now all walked side by side.

"I'm not a huge member of the fashion world." Marinette gasped at this revelation, looking at the gaping Alya.

"You go to a school famous for its design and fashion classes and you don't read _Numéro_!?" The girl with glassed scoffed, nudging her boyfriend. "Next he's gonna say he can't sew, I bet!"

"Actually…" the Venetian scratched his head in embarrassment. Alya and Marinette had a miniature fit, but Nino and Adrien just laughed.  
"What's the point of you even going to _l'Collège Françoise Dupont_ then?" Marinette and Alya asked in synchronisation. In all honesty, Nikolai had no idea why he attended the school that he did. From what his mother told him, Duccio Moreau had heard from his colleagues in the Gondoliers that _l'Collège Françoise Dupont_ was a very prestigious school with good connections, despite it's speciality with design and fashion.

"At least he's happy!" Rose smiled. She had just finished calling the prince of the Kingdom of Achu, Prince Ali.

"Yeah…" Juleka mumbled, slowing down. The group seemed to take no notice, and left her. Nikolai seemed to be the only one to realise this, and went back for her.

"Hey," he frowned, looking at her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just not feeling well," she answered, putting a hand to her head.

"Do you want to take a rest? We can cancel if you'd like."

" _Non,_ " Juleka shook her head, only making the headache worse. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You aren't _ever_ a bother." Nikolai put a hand on her shoulders. Even though she was much taller than he, he towered over her thanks to the hill they stood upon. "If you were a bother, why would we invite you? Take my hand." Juleka gasped as Nikolai slipped his hand into hers, their fingers interlocking. Her hands, like her personality, were icy. In this temperature, it was obvious that she was unwell. Nikolai guided her through the crowd to where the others were waiting.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked, immediately by her friend's side.

"Just feeling a little unwell," Juleka answered. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Marinette asked. She looked pale, despite her makeup. "I can go get some water if you want?" Juleka nodded, taking a seat on a bench. Nikolai put his hand to her forehead, taking her temperature.

"You don't have a temperature. Are you cold?" The winds howled, the winter snow picking up. Each one of them were dressed appropriately, except Juleka. Whatever made her think that summer clothes would be alright for a day like today was beyond Nikolai. Still, the Venetian slipped off his coat and put it around her shoulders and warmed her hands with his. Marinette produced a thermostat of hot water and biscuits out of thin air, and they all stopped for a warming drink.

"Thank you," Juleka smiled, warmth returning to her features. "I feel much better now."

"Are you gonna let go of her hand now?" Alya chuckled, having watched their hands pressed together the entire time.

"Oh!" Nikolai gasped, taking his hands away from hers. "I-I'm so sorry! I completely forgot that I-"

"N-no… It's fine." Juleka mumbled. Nikolai had gone as red as his shirt, and even under her pale face, the goth's face changed shade to a warmer pink.

"You playa!" Nino joked, elbowing Nikolai in the ribs. "You know how to pick a cutie!"

"Oh nonsense!" Rose pouted, pushing linking her arm with Juleka's. "Nikolai was just being a gentleman! He's such a sweetie!" All the while Nikolai was mumbling excuses before giving up, helping Marinette pack, and trudged ahead alongside Adrien, who remained silent.

"First Marinette and Adrien, now this?" Alya tutted as she shook her head. "This is gonna be interesting…"

* * *

They came over the hill in _Pelouse de Reuilly_ to see a gargantuan yellow and red-stripped tent. Rose jumped in excitement, pulling Marinette and Juleka down the hill.

" _Cirque Phénix_!" she giggled, watching Marinette stumble down the hill as gracefully as a drunk bear on roller-skates. "I haven't been to the circus in years!"

"Do they have circuses in Venice?" Adrien asked Nikolai, who stared at the tent.

"Erm… Not exactly," Nikolai answered, tying his hair back in a bun. "We have _Carnevale_ _,_ but nothing like this."

"I haven't been to the circus before. Father wouldn't ever let me."

"Then you two are gonna _love_ this!" Nino put himself between them, throwing his arms over their shoulders. " Nino manhandled them down to the others, picking up Alya as they went along. Even though it was freezing and they kicked up snow everywhere, he did not feel the cold. Perhaps it was the Anklet on his leg, or the Kwami crawling around in his pocket among a pile of lose change. Rose and Nino pulled them along towards the giant tent. Nino ald Alya made their way through the crowd to pay the fee whilst the others waited. Nikolai hung to the back of the group, trying to keep as much distance between him and the tent as possible. Eventually it was their turn to enter the big top. Rose, Nino, Adrien and the others went inside enthusiastically. Just seeing the dark interior made the Venetian's stomach flip.

"You coming?" Marinette asked, holding the tent flap open.

"Y-you go on ahead!" Nikolai smiled, waving her on. "I just need to find the bathroom or something." Marinette frowned, clearly wondering why he seemed apprehensive, but she shrugged it off and went inside anyway. Now that no one was looking, Nikolai practically sprinted away from the tent, only stopping once he was away from the daunting establishment.

"You okay kid?" Draggo asked, zipping from his pocket. "What's wrong?"

"Fine," Nikolai panted, his forehead dotted in sweat. He panted lightly even though it wasn't from exertion, rather fear.

"No you're not," Draggo landed on Nikolai's shoulder. "I can tell when someone's not okay man. You afraid of jesters or something?"

"I have claustrophobia." Nikolai admitted. The Kwami stared at Nikolai, a blank and confused look written all over him.

"Claustro-what?" Draggo blinked, his tiny brain trying to register the word.

"It means I'm afraid of confined spaces." Nikolai revealed, as if he was humiliated by his fear.

"Oh!" Draggo nodded, tugging on Nikolai's ear piercing. "Last time I had a partner, we called that just being a coward!" The Venetian frowned, batting him away from his ear.

"Not really helping bud," Nikolai pouted. Draggo shrugged, nestling into the crook of his shoulder.

"My last partner was afraid of reptiles. The look on their face when they realised they were a dragon was priceless!" Though it didn't make Nikolai feel better, he smiled for Draggo's sake. "We all have our shit, y'know? And I'm here to help you through this, One hundred per cent."

"Thanks bud," Nikolai smiled, tickling the Kwami's chin. "Glad I can count on you." The pair walked around the perimeter of the tent, taking in the sights and smells. At the back of the tent was the performer's quarters. A convoy of tucks and caravans had been parked in a seemingly random patters, obscuring the public's view of what lay within. Draggo's ears pricked up, twitching with each sound wave that they caught. Even the human could hear that a heated argument was going on.

"What do you think that is?" Nikolai asked. "You think the performers are okay?"

"Wanna find out?" Draggo suggested, already floating through the maze. Nikolai hesitated before entering. His conscience told him not to trespass, but his attachment to the Kwami urged him on.

What use was the Dragon's Anklet without Draggo? Nikolai crept through the maze of vehicles, trying his hardest to be silent.

"…And it's gone on long enough!" A male voice shouted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" A hoarse voice shot back. From where Nikolai perched himself, he could see the ringmaster having a heated argument with several of the performers.

"Just look around you Hampton, this place is a dump!" A trapeze walker shook his head, resting on his pole. "We're lucky we haven't been shut down by Health and Safety!"

"Okay, explain what's wrong." The Ringmaster crossed his arms. "All I see are a bunch of deadbeats complaining when they don't do jack around here!" Draggo landed on Nikolai's shoulder, leaning into the warmth of his neck.

"This is pretty heated, huh kid?" The Kwami whispered. "Good thing we got to see a _real_ show!"

"Shh!" Nikolai hissed, pushing a finger to Draggo's mouth.

"…the condition of all the equipment is crap, and this makeup is horrible for our skin!" A clown finished, clearly not happy, like his act usually was.

"What about the poor animals?" the lion tamer added. "We can't afford their medicine, let alone feed them properly! Look at how thin the lions are, they're starving!" Three mopey lions lay in a cage nearby, clearly underfed and sick.

"So what do you want me to do?" The ringmaster threw his hands up in the air. "I can't make magic, that's the magician's job! And might I say, Norton, that your last performance was utter crap!" Norton, the magician, huffed, almost breaking his wand in anger.

"We know you've been cutting our paycheques just so you can have more for yourself!"

"I got a family to feed." The ringmaster shrugged, his belly bulging from the suit. The ringmaster looked a poor man, they all did. Their clothes were poor quality and the makeup was sketchy at best.

"So do we all!" the magician grunted. "Your greed is costing all of us our health and safety! I quit!"

"You can't quit, you have a contract! And until that contract is up, you better toe the line!

"Why, you brazenly avaricious, duplicitous, larcenous ursine!" The strongman gaped. The hulking man twirled his moustache, speaking in a very formal and respectable accent. "I can say with confidence that I would much rather use my hands as vessels for my defecate and proceed to audibly and rhythmically clap than listen to your hogwash!"

"You keep your fancy words to yourself Bentley, you're paid to grunt, not spout garbage!" Norton, the magician, produced an official looking document from his hat and ripped it in half. As the parts fluttered away they burst into flames. "I still own my copy of _all_ your contracts, I own you!"

"Then we will simply not preform." The clown declared, and the band of performers chorused their agreement. They left their boss, who shouted insults and demanded that they do what they were paid to do.

"Time for us to leave," Nikolai mumbled, grabbing Draggo and pushing him into his pocket.

"Well that was certainly interesting," Draggo beamed, nesting underneath the tissues Nikolai had stuffed into that particular pocket for bedding. "Did you see Mr. Muscles?"

"The strongman?" The Venetian raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Aren't big guys like him usually pretty daft? You know, like _'Hur dur me strong!'_?"

"Guess that he's breaking the stereotype," Nikolai shrugged as he stood at the entrance to the tent. Nikolai began to shake like a leaf in a storm, his feet rooting him in place. The show was to go for three hours, three hours of absolute _hell_.

"Hey, kid." Draggo tugged on his shirt. "You got this! If you can beat the crap outta an Akuma, this is nothing! Tell you what, if ya really need to get out, we'll go flames up and fly around for a bit. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Nikolai nodded. "I can do this, I just gotta think Dragon Fire!" Nikolai held his hand in his pocket to keep contact with the Kwami as they entered.

* * *

"A man who only wishes to entertain," A hoarse voice hissed in the darkness.

The sound of machinery droned in the observatory as a mechanical sunshield twisted open Resting at the man's feet were a swarm of white butterflies, which fluttered in a frenzy as the light touched them. "All he wants to do is make people happy, yet he can't afford to do even that! And so his friends have left him. How sad…" A single white butterfly fluttered into Hawk Moth's open hand, and was instantly trapped by his other hand. A dark energy flowed from the mysterious hand into the insect, filling it with a dark and spiteful aura. "Fly, my little Akuma!" Hark Moth released the corrupted insect, slamming the end of his staff on the ground. "Let us give this man the audience he deserves!"


	7. Ringmaster Balthazar

As soon as he passed through the tent doors, Nikolai's senses were overloaded with stimuli. The smell of animal scat and old hay filled his nostrils. Cliché circus music thundered in his ears, deafening him. Several lights swirled over the crowd, blinding him when they passed over. Nikolai edged through the crowd, making a beeline for where his friends were sitting.

"Where were you?" Nino asked as the Venetian squeezed past him.

"Toilet," Nikolai lied. "I forgot to go before." Alya cracked a joke about the size of boy's bladders to the girls, who giggled.

"Thank you for letting me use your jacket." Juleka smiled, handing the garment to him. "You must be cold, right?"

"Keep it," Nikolai replied. "It's cold in here."

"So you use it!" Juleka pushed it into his chest

"A Spaniard's blood is always hot!" Nikolai joked, giving her a grin. "You wear it, please." Nikolai was insistent, literally placing it over her shoulders. What he said was true, but he used to hate the cold. Emphasis on used to. Ever since the Dragon's Anklet was in his possession, a fiery warmth radiated through him.

"I thought you said you're Italian?" Marinette asked, eying the foreigner, as if trying to trace her heritage just by his face.

"He's half-half!" Adrien answered on his behalf.

"Honestly girl, don't you pay attention?" Alya teased, flicking Marinette's pigtail. Nikolai would have lightly teased Marinette, but the lights went to pitch black, the noise of the crowd dimming with the lights. After half a minute of nothing, what seemed like ten times more though, the speakers began to drone their music as the ringmaster walked into the limelight. He was a fat man, who wore a suit several sizes too small. The ringmaster looked sheepish in front of the crows, as if it was his first time on a stage. Nevertheless, the Parisians cheered him on, eager to see the exhilarating performance begin.

"G-good afternoon everyone," the ringmaster mumbled into a microphone. The feedback sent a bloodcurdling screech through the speakers. Nikolai, like many others, cringed and covered their ears. "There is some unfortunate news I must announce. Due to unforeseen circumstances today's show is cancelled." The crowd echoed a sigh of sadness, rustling amongst themselves.

"What a shame," Rose sighed. "I really wanted to see the circus!"

"I'm sure they've cancelled for a good reason," Marinette smiled at her reassuringly.

"The policy that we have only compensates people injured during the performance…" An awkward cough took over, as if he was trying desperately to keep the news at bay. "There will be no refunds." Sadness quickly turned to anger, people enraged that they had been ripped off.

"What?" Nino threw up his arms. "That's rubbish!"

"I paid good money for these seats!" somebody shouted, booing the ringmaster.

"Entertain us, you goon!" another hollered, throwing their drink at the man. It was not long before other people joined in, demanding either the show or their money back. Each person had paid hundreds of euros for this, and expected to be compensated. The ringmaster was helpless to the abuse that followed. Swearing, booing, food ad drink hurled at him, large majorities of it hitting home. If Nikolai was honest with himself, his emotions towards the man was mixed. No one deserved this kind of torment. But at the same time, having eavesdropped on the conversation prior to the start of the performance, there was some justice in this. The ringmaster, desperate for allies and salvation from the barrage of thrown items, turned to where the rest of the troupe was standing. Yet no help came from them. The actors and performers only laughed, relishing at the irony of the situation. The thick PVC coated walls of the tent kept almost everything out; the wind, snow, and noise. But the one thing that the tent did not kept out was a tiny black bug. The butterfly fluttered over the crowds, weaving its way between the volleys of popcorn and soft drink. No one even saw it, until it landed on the director's microphone hanging on the ringmaster's belt. As soon as the bug made contact it exploded, sending its evil through the instrument. The man arched his body back, spasming in shock. The neon purple outline of a moth traced his face, allowing communication between master and host.

" _My poor friend,"_ Hawk Moth's voice filled the ringmaster's head as his face darkened. _"In times past you were the light of people's lives. Now they mock you, and your friends betray you. I will give you the power to become the greatest entertainer ever seen, but first you must get me the Miraculous held by Chat Noir and Ladybug!"_

"The _première_ is over," the man smiled an evil look. "The main show is about to begin!" A black and purple sludge enveloped the man, transforming him. Nikolai raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Oh no…" Marinette gasped as Alya pulled out her phone. "Alya put that away, this isn't a time to film!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the strange mass bellowed. "Boys and girls! Welcome one and all to the spectacular, mysterious and utterly dangerous Big Top Bonanza Circus! I am your master of ceremonies…" the crowd gasped as the sludge revealed the monster beneath. "Ringmaster Balthazar Beauregard!"

* * *

The akumatised M.C stood at over seven feet tall. His cheap and tattered suit had been replaced with a smart colonial-styled red jacket with golden lining and black highlights. Black trousers were tucked into his immaculate velvet boots. Atop his head sat an oversized red hat, in its black ribbon sat a flurry of snow white feathers. He was quite fashionable, except for his monstrous height and appearance. Balthazar Beauregard's skin had turned stone grey and clammy. The features on his once plain face had been deformed and demonised. Three meaty fingers occupied each hand, sharp claws on each. The flat, human face had been morphed into an elongated snout. On each side of his bulbous nose was an extraordinarily long handlebar moustache. Balthazar's small piercing eyes twinkled and he licked his sabre-toothed mouth.

"Akuma!" somebody shouted. While the Parisians were stunned by what they saw, the word was enough to cause a panic. People practically climbed over each other to try to escape the tent.

"Where are you going?" Balthazar snarled. "The show has just begun!" the Akuma pulled a whip from his belt and cracked it several times. "You _must_ stay for the performance I have for you!" The tent walls began to bleed the same black and purple substance that reformed Ringmaster. It oozed down, covering the tent walls from the soil to the great peaks. Amidst the chaos of everyone scrambling to flee, Nikolai sprang into action. It was his time to shine!

"Come with me!" Nikolai shouted, grabbing Rose and Juleka by the wrists and pulling them down the bleachers.

"Nikolai!?" Juleka gasped as he pulled them along. Underneath the bleachers was vacant space that had been used to put all the storage crates. The Venetian used what boxes was there to create a crude fortress.

"Hide here," instructed he, piling the crates higher and higher. "That's an Akuma out there. Things are going to get hectic!" satisfied with his work, Nikolai climbed over his creation and looked back at them. "Don't leave until I come back!"

"What are you going to do?" Rose squeaked, her sweet face filled with terror.

"I'm gonna go get the others, then see what I can do to stop it,"

"But you can't!" Rose protested, but he was already gone, out amongst the terrified civilians. They had created a mosh pit around the doors, trying to escape. Most of the people inside the tent had crowded around the exits, trying to escape.

"Nino!" Nikolai saw him amongst the crowd. "Where are the others?"

"Alya's filming the big guy!" he answered, pushing towards Nikolai. "I haven't seen Marinette and Adrien though." Nikolai led him to where Juleka and Rose were sheltered, practically throwing him in with them.

"You three stay here," Nikolai instructed, tipping more crates into the wall that protected the students. "Do _not_ leave here, understand?"

"Now hang on buddy, why are you risking yourself?" Nino protested, standing up to him. Even Nino was taller, Nikolai puffed out his chest with an authority that was unlike him. The authority and confidence of Dragon Fire.

"Because…" the Venetian paused. Because I'm Dragon Fire? That was the correct answer but he'd never reveal that. "Because don't want you to get hurt!" Nikolai vaulted over the palisade of crates and made his way to the ring.

"Have to find somewhere to transform…" In the centre of the ring Balthazar was cracking his whip at the civilians, barking orders through the shouting device.

"And you my dear, shall be a juggler!" Balthazar smiled evilly. The woman that was hit seemed to enter a trance, robotically walking towards where the supplies were and began to juggle clubs, balls, and knives.

"H-help me!" she cried. The her eyes darted to and fro, desperately trying not to drop any of the dangerous equipment on herself. It seemed as if she was hexed, her body being controlled by the Akuma. Yet her eyes and mouth showed her true fear and intentions.

"He has the power to control people with the whip?" Nikolai mumbled as he spied a curtain used by the magician for his tricks. The Venetian kept his distance, weaving his way through the people who had been made to preform against their will. Nikolai and his Kwami hid there, looking out at the monster.

"Sounds like a hell of a show out there!" Draggo said, peeking out from behind the curtain.

"Why don't we join the fun then?" Nikolai smirked, assuming a wide stance. "Draggo, flames up!" The Kwami roared in delight before zipping into the Anklet. The blue eye flared to life, its energy spreading through the band and the golden dragon. Nikolai felt the blistering heat of the flames that spewed from the Anklet swallow him whole. He thrusted his arms out as the magical armour fused onto his skin. Nikolai fluffed his hair back, taking the shape of the pointed horns. With his gauntlets now on, the Venetian pressed the gloves against his face. His face flashed on fire as the hands came away, revealing the mask and recoloured sclera. The belt around him constricted his torso as it wove itself into his tail.

' _This feeling…'_ Nikolai thought as his back hunched over, wings bursting from his shoulder blades in a gory, bloody mess. _'I feel so powerful!'_ Dragon Fire roared as his canine teeth elongated, sharpened like daggers. The fires faded and the smoke cleared, leaving behind Dragon Fire. The dragon stretched his muscles, flexing his extra set of limbs.

"Here we go!" Dragon Fire beamed, running out into the fray. Dragon Fire took a moment to analyse the scene before him. Ringmaster Balthazar was cracking his whip rabidly. The unfortunate people hit began to preform his tricks. Clown acts, to trapezing, to attempting to lift weights that required superhuman strength. Across the ring Dragon Fire spotted Alya Césaire crouching between the chairs, filming the Akuma on her phone. The dragon man spread his wings, looking up with terror.

"Not much room to fly," he cussed, folding them again. " _Cazzo tenda,_ I hate tents!" Dragon Fire made a mad sprint for the girl, weaving through the crowds of scared people. Alya spotted the anomaly in the crowd almost instantly, and changed the camera's angle to him.

"Alya," Dragon Fire started. "We-"

"You're that guy who showed up when the Janitor attacked!" Alya gasped, taking several photos during the recording. "What's your name again?"

"Dragon Fire," answered he, looking over his shoulder at the conflict. "Listen, we need to get you somewhere-"

"Can I get an interview? Oh! Who's your secret identity? Do you know who Ladybug is?"

"Later," Dragon Fire scoped his arms around her, picking her up by the waist.

"What're you doing!?" Alya shrieked as Dragon Fire hoisted her over his shoulder. "Put me down!"

"You need to hide!" Dragon Fire retorted. "Or else-" the Venetian gurgled in surprise as something dug into his spine, twisting right between his shoulder blades.

"No one picks me up!" Alya protested, driving her thumbnail in further. "Not even my boyfrie-"

"Ow!" the Miraculous user cried, almost dropping the girl. "Stop it!" Such a small point of pressure had completely paralysed him. Even though the power of the Anklet had made Nikolai incredibly strong and able to sustain most injuries, it seemed his nervous system was still vulnerable.

"I won't leave until I see Ladybug!" Alya declared, tugging on his wings. Dragon Fire almost dropped her, sliding the tomboy off of him.

"Crap that hurt," Dragon Fire winced, rolling his shoulders and trying to rub the tender spot on his back. "If Ladybug shows up will you promise to go hide?"

"Yeah yeah yeah whatever Dragon Man," Alya pushed him away, resuming her filming. "Look! There she is!" Sure enough the Miraculous Ladybug swooped down from the bars that were covered in lights. Ladybug observed the scene before charging at the Akuma. Her yo-yo was snapped out of the air by the Ringmaster's whip, sending it clattering away. The Ringmaster pressed the advantage, perusing the heroine with murderous intent. Dragon Fire spread his wings and shot into the air, keen to aid her. The yo-yo rolled to a stop beneath a cannon that had been primed, but lacked shot. Dragon Fire swooped over the weapon and grasped it in his hands.

"Ladybug!" Dragon Fire shouted, watching her roll and leap over the assault of whip cracks. "Catch!" The Venetian pitched the ladybug-patterned yo-yo like a baseball at its owner. Ladybug caught it as she backflipped away from another strike from the weapon.

"You again?" Ladybug rolled her eyes. "What're you doing here kid?"

"My name is Dragon Fire," the name owner was by her side with a mighty beat of his wings. "You best remember that because I'm here to stay!" Dragon Fire could hear her groan and almost _feel_ her annoyance.

"It's great that you're another Miraculous user, but Paris has got enough of us. Chat and I have got a good thing going on here." At that very moment Chat Noir ran past them screaming his lungs out, chased by a horde of elephants on giant balls. God Himself couldn't have chosen a better time for that to happen.

"Clearly," Dragon Fire snorted, crossing his arms and smirking. Ladybug grumbled, throwing her yo-yo out onto a beam across the ring.

"If you _have_ to help, get the civilians out of here. We'll deal with the Akuma. Do _not_ make that dragon appear, got it?" Before the Venetian could even reply she was gone, saving her partner.

" _Si, signora._ " Dragon Fire sighed, saluting sarcastically. He pushed his way through the crowd towards one of the many exits.

"Are you an Akuma!?" Someone next to him shrieked. "Don't hurt me!" the crowd instantly backed away, as if someone announced he had the bubonic plague.

"Relax, I'm one of the good guys." Dragon Fire smiled, making his way to the front. "What's the problem?"

"We can't get out," a woman cried, beating her fist against the door. The purple and black ooze had solidified, encasing them inside.

"I got this," Dragon Fire boasted, cracking his knuckles. "Stand back everyone!" Nikolai Moreau was on the weak side when it came to humans. But in Miraculous form, Dragon Fire was as strong as Chat Noir, possibly greater. The Venetian reeled back and punched the wall. Nothing happened, except for a bruised hand. Dragon Fire punched with both hands in quick succession, followed by a kick.

"Not even a dent…" Dragon Fire mumbled, rubbing his gauntlets.

"That was helpful!" A man snorted. "Are you helping us or what?"

" _Star zitto,_ " Dragon Fire spat, his tail twitching in annoyance. Dragon Fire swiped his left hand across the stone on his right gauntlet. The crystal spiked out in all directions, creating a guard for his firearm. The thin blade crackled outwards, forming out of the air. He took a few steps back, trying to eye if their were any breaks or veins in the wall. Despite the pattern being a random conglomerate of colours, it seemed solid. Dragon Fire charged roaring a battle cry his ancestors would have been proud off. The blade dug into the wall, creating horrible blue sparks and grinding noises as the sword slashed through the wall. It was rock solid, but gelatinous at the same time. Dragon Fire's crystal sword came out, but the walls seemed to repair themselves.

"Did it work?" Someone asked.

"There's a mark on the wall, at least," another shrugged.

" _Merde,_ " Dragon Fire cursed. "Hang on, I think I can do this!" his wings shot out with a satisfying _thwomp!_ Taking to the skies, Dragon Fire shot into the air and flew in several large circles. He gained more and more speed with each lap. The Venetian launched himself at the door, his arm thrust out in front of him. The substance made a horrible scream as the crystal sword drove its way through the wall. Dragon Fire crashed into it with his body with such a force that would've shattered an ordinary persons bones.

"Crap…" Dragon Fire grumbled, struggling to his feet. He tried to remove the blade from the substance, only to find that the blade had been embedded so far that it would not move.

"You okay kid?" somebody asked, watching the Venetian stagger around.

"Never better," Dragon Fire lied as he swiped his left hand over the guard of the sword. The blade fell from its socket and was instantly replaced by another.

"I don't think you should do that again, you'll break your neck!" The man smiled, helping Dragon Fire recover. The man wore a blue shirt with an eyeball on it, almost identical to-

"Nino!?" Dragon Fire gasped. "I thought you were hiding!" What was his friend doing out of cover? As a victim of being an Akuma and witness to countless attacks, he more than anyone would know the dangers of the beasts.

"I was but Nikolai said he was going to go get Alya, and neither of them have come back!"

' _Oh yeah,'_ The man underneath the mask thought. _'Oops.'_

"I'm sure they're both fine," Dragon Fire replied. "Please get back to safety, I'll deal with-"

"I'm not going without Alya!" Nino protested, pushing through the crowd towards Ringmaster. Dragon Fire gave chase, ignoring the job that Ladybug had given him. Dragon Fire stood at the edge of the ring, observing his surroundings. Huge amounts of civilians had been bound to Ringmaster Balthazar's curse. Ladybug and Chat Noir were still evading all attacks from the Akuma and trying to free his victims. Balthazar turned to watch Nino run for Alya, who'd been up to this point undetected.

"Oho, I see you up there little lady! You seem to _love_ to watch others and look at the odd one out. I think you'd be right at home in my troupe, as a bearded lady!" Balthazar's whip glowed a neon purple as he aimed it at the diva. Alya seemed too shocked to move from her place.

"Oh no you don't!" Ladybug grumbled, looking to help her best friend. She picked up the nearest discarded bag and threw with all her might.

"Hey!" Dragon Fire gasped, seeing the object thrown. "That's my-" it was too late, his favourite messenger bag had intercepted the Akuma's whip and took the dark magic for Alya. The bag's trajectory was thrown wild from the impact, rolling to a stop by Dragon Fire's feet. The Venetian gaped in shock and disgust as his treasured bag started to grow a several foot long beard, moustache included.

" _Ti bastardo_!" Dragon Fire roared. "I got that for my birthday!" Dragon Fire ran to engage the Akuma, but was bowled over my a black mass. The bodies groaned, wondering why their running had been met with eating the dirt.

"Wha?" The body in black leather grunted, looking at the body below him. "Oh it's you! _Bonjour,_ Dragon Man!"

"We have got to stop meeting like this, Chat Noir," Dragon Fire smiled, kicking his hips back and using the momentum to jump up. Try as he might, the Venetian was never one for acrobatics and fell right back onto his arse. "Otherwise I might think you're falling for me!" Chat Noir laughed, the joke and irony of him falling again tickling his funny bone.

"Seems like you're the only one who's falling buddy," Chat Noir grasped his open hand with a clap, hoisting him up. "What took you so-"

"Look out!" Dragon Fire shouted. The herd of stampeding elephants had been gaining on Chat Noir this whole time, bearing down on the cat. Before Chat could turn and protect himself from being trampled, a body wrapped itself around him before springing upwards. Chat expected to be crushed beneath the elephants' feet, but was only crushed by the embrace of Dragon Fire's arms as he flew to the other side of the ring.

"Nice save!" Chat beamed. " _Merci_ , my friend." Their prey now out of reach, the elephants grew bored and docile, huddling out of the way of the Akuma.

"We gotta stick together, right?" Dragon Fire smiled in response, setting him down by the trapeze tower. "Anyway I was hoping for your help. Ladybug wants me to get the people out of the tent but it's impossible with that barrier. Maybe you could use Cataclysm?" Ringmaster Balthazar's whip cracked again, landing in the centre of the target's back.

"I see such a gorgeous specimen there!" Balthazar bellowed. Dragon Fire gaped in shock, watching the body go limp. "Oh how I'd absolutely _love_ to see how you fare against the king of the jungle!"

"Chat..." Dragon Fire mumbled, watching the body shuffle towards where Ringmaster pointed for him to stand. One of the other minions had placed a whip and a small chair down in the there, whilst others rolled the caged lion towards him.

"M'lady?" Chat Noir tried to move his head to look for her. "I could use some help!"

"Oh there's nothing she can do for you now," Ringmaster cackled, provoking the lion with the butt of his whip. "Nothing escapes the thrill of my Big Top Bonanza!"

"Kitty!" Ladybug cried, running for him. Her yo-yo shot out and smacked Balthazar in his huge nose. The Akuma grunted and staggered back into the cage, clutching his face. The lion inside snarled, clawing at the metal bars that separated it and the Akuma's rear. Enraged, Ringmaster cracked his whip wildly, calling forth his slaves.

"Make them suffer!" A horde of the possessed people charged at Ladybug and Dragon Fire. Many shouted in protest and apologised to the pair. Dragon Fire drew his sword, ready to engage.

"No!" Ladybug cried, grabbing his arm. "We can't hurt them, they're civilians!"

"But they're-" Dragon Fire protested as they bowled him over. He was pinned underneath a mass of fists and open hands whacking and slapping him. Ladybug managed to escape the assault, zipping off to where they couldn't reach her. Dragon Fire was not so lucky, taking the brunt of the attack. Dragon Fire struggled to sheath his weapon, lest one of the possessed souls fall upon it. With nothing to protect him from their blows, he took every attack. Pain rippled through his body, every blow bruising his body. Ringmaster Balthazar parted the slaves, walking up to the bent over Venetian.

"You have not been a good audience member!" Ringmaster snarled, winding back his leg and swinging. Dragon Fire let out a gurgling cry as his stomach crumbles under the blow. Blood gushed from his mouth as the kick sent him rolling across the ring. Ladybug looked on in horror as Ringmaster's boot crunched down on Dragon Fire's face.

* * *

Dragon Fire felt like he'd been thrown in an acid bath. Everything burnt and stung. Opening his eyes felt a herculean task, and moving nigh impossible.

"Wake up," a voice barked, only inches form his ear. His eyes opened upon instruction, taking in his surroundings. Ringmaster stood by his side, forcing his arm back. Dragon Fire realised that he was strapped against a flat circular board, his hands and feet cuffed against the wood.

"Ladybug?" Dragon Fire looked around for the heroine. From the corner of his eye he saw the young woman tugging at Chat Noir's arm. The cat held his own whip and a wooden chair, keeping the lion at bay. Ladybug tried everything to free him from the hex: scaring the lion with her yo-yo, pushing it back into the cage, she even kissed Chat Noir on the cheek!

"Now, we need another participant!" Ringmaster purred, uncoiling his whip.

[16/03/2017, 12:51:51 am] Spenney Deeeeeeeee: Most of the people in the big top had gone into hiding, terrified for their lives. Hiding behind the cannon was Alya, still filming the events in front of her.

"Alya we her to go!" Nino was by her side, tugging her towards where the Rose and Juleka had promised they would hide. "That hero dude told us that's where Nikolai and the others are!" But Alya was having none of it, she refused to abandon her duty as the moderator of the Ladyblog. But with Chat Noir hexed, Dragon Fire trapped, and Ladybug too distracted trying to help her partner, no one was there to save Nino and Alya. Ringmaster's whip glowed purple as it flew through the air. Alya flinched, covering her head to protect herself from the cord. It cracked, yet she felt no pain.

"Come, child." Ringmaster Balthazar smiled gleefully. "It has been oh so long since I've had the pleasure of seeing a live knife throwing. Come and join the fun!" Alya could only watch stupified as Nino left her side and walked mechanically to Ringmaster. From his brilliant jacked he produced several dangerous blades, thrusting them upon the man.

"W-what's happening!?" Nino cried, trying with all his might to regain control of his body. "I can't control myself, man!" Nino pressed a button on the wheel that Dragon Fire was tied to. A motor whirred and the wheel began to turn.

"Oh god..." Dragon Fire heaved, watching the world spin. "I'm gonna barf." Nino stood approximately ten metres away from his target, selecting his knife. "D-dude!" I'm sorry I can't do anything, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay Nino," Dragon Fire tried to smile, still spinning. "Just miss!" Dragon Fire was hoping that his aim would be so bad that it would sever the ropes that held his arm in place. If he could get his sword then he could cut himself out and fly away. Draggo had boasted that the armour he gave his champions was impregnable, but that had yet to be proven. Nino'a hands shook, the knife blade wobbling betwixt his fingers.

"Stop stalling," Ringmaster barked through his megaphonium. "Throw already!" Nino closed his eyes and thew. Time slowed. The blade spiralled through the air, spinning towards the Venetian. Dragon Fire could only watch as he spun around on the wooden board. Dragon Fire prayed to God, Allah, Bhudda and Zeus alike that he would hear the clack of steel against wood. It looked like they heard his prayers, the blade flying for the board. But as he came around on another cycle the blade made a sickening thud as it hit flesh.

* * *

Ladybug turned to the sound of the scream. The sight of Dragon Fire tied up on the spinning board made her observe the situation for what it truly was. Her two allies were incapacitated and unable to fight. Civilians were being injured left, right and centre thanks to Ringmaster's cruel orders. All she had was one trick up her sleeve.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cried, throwing her yo-yo skywards. A ladybug patterned boomerang dropped into her hands. "A boomerang? Really?" For a power called Lucky Charm,Ladybug sure was unlucky with what mystery item she was given. Looking at the battlefield Ladybug doctored up a plan in her mind. Several objects flashed in her mind's eye. Ladybug skidded underneath the crack of Ringmaster's whip, hurling the boomerang.

"I'm so sorry!" Nino wailed, picking up another knife. Dragon Fire didn't reply, adrenaline flooding through his systems to nullify the pain of the knife. A second knife left Nino's hand, flying for the Venetian's face. The blade whirled closer with each passing second. Dragon Fire closed his eyes, waiting for his end. Yet it did not come. The boomerang collided with the knife, knocking it off its course. The Venetian felt the rope around his hand come lose, he saw that the knife had sliced it cleanly in two. Dragon Fire roared, tearing at the other ropes, snapping them easily with his sharp claws.

"Thanks Ladybug!" Dragon Fire beamed, dropping to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, catching the boomerang as it came back around.

"I'll live, what's the plan?"

"Ringmaster's nose seems to be a weak spot. I'll throw my Lucky Charm at it to stun him, then you swoop in to steal that megaphone thing!"

"It's called a megaphonium," Dragon Fire corrected, watching Nino's hex break. The DJ ran to where Alya was beckoning for him, throwing her arms around him.

"Whatever, just go!" Ladybug snapped. Dragon Fire's wings shot out and he took to the sky. Dragon Fire clung to one of the support towers whilst the plan unfolded.

"Hey, Ringmaster!" Ladybug shouted, hurling the curved wooden instrument. Ringmaster turned as the boomerang smacked into his nose. He howled, staggering backwards. Ringmaster crashed into the cage that Chat Noir had been goading the lion into. The impact sealed the door, giving Chat the freedom he craved. Dragon Fire swooped down onto the Akuma. The Venetian held the cuffs of his jacket, his feet dug into the beast's fat belly.

"You're done now, _coglione!_ " Dragon Fire snarled, their faces an inch from each other's. Ringmaster went for his whip. As soon as his arm moved he was howling in pain. Dragon Fire had driven his sword through his forearm.

"Don't!" Ladybug gasped, watching the blade twist through the Akuma's flesh. Ringmaster went to strike Dragon Fire with his other hand, only to be repelled as the blade cut further up his arm. As soon as the whip clattered to the ground, Dragon Fire snatched the megaphonium from his belt and sprung away.

"Dragon Fire!" Chat Noir waved to the teenager flying over his prey. "Throw it!" Dragon Fire did as instructed, pitching the sound amplifier at the cat.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir shouted, the power charging his hand with destructive magic. The megaphonium disintegrated upon contact, leaving nothing but a pile of dust. From the dust emerged a black and purple moth, flying skyward to escape.

"No more harm, little Akuma!" Ladybug said, drawing a line across her yo-yo. The top of the tool folded back, revealing a pool of light within. Ladybug spun it around her body, the whole device becoming a beacon of light. "I'm freeing you from evil!" The Akuma had no chance of escaping and was caught in the large sweep she sent in its direction. Dragon Fire could only watch in awe as this unfolded, the true power of the Miraculous Ladybug.

" _Incroyable_ ," Dragon Fire mumbled, landing some distance away. Ringmaster had fallen to his knees beside him, his source of energy stolen.

"Gotcha!" Ladybug smirked, catching the yo-yo. Ladybug drew the same line on the tool and a snow-white butterfly fluttered away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly!" The woman in the suit threw the boomerang up in the air, shouting her name. A wave of energy flew around the room, restoring order where there had been chaos. Wounds were healed, items repaired, and trauma repressed. Ringmaster Balthazar was no more.

* * *

With Ringmaster defeated and the Akuma purified, the barrier that sealed them in dissolved. The civilians flooded out of the tent, glad to be in sunlight and fresh oxygen once again.

"Good Job!" Ladybug and Chat said in chorus, fist-bumping each other with a beam. The sound of wind whooshing nearby them alerted the pair to Dragon Fire landing nearby.

"That went as well as it could've!" Dragon Fire smiled. "How'd I do?"

"Where do I start?" Ladybug scowled, crossing her arms. "You were going to attack civilians, you disobeyed orders, and you maimed the poor Akuma!"

"Poor Akuma?" Dragon Fire scoffed. "That bastard was tearing the place up! I got the job done."

"Well you didn't do it properly!" Ladybug retorted, pushing her face against his. The pair glared at each other, Dragon Fire bearing his fangs while she pouted.

"I think that's enough, m'lady!" Chat laughed, pointing to the now open doors. "Let's head on out. This kitty could use some air!" Chat grabbed Ladybug by the arm and literally dragged her away. Dragon Fire shrugged and followed. Awaiting them was a fleet of journalists, paparazzi, medics and police. The media workers flooded to the three of them, cameras flaring and people shouting questions over each other.

"Ladybug!" Somebody shouted. "Did you defeat the Akuma?"

"Were there any casualties this time?"

"Who was the Akumatised person?"

"How is your investigation into discovering who Hawk Moth is going?" After several months of the media hounding after the pair of heroes that protected Paris, Ladybug was still taken back by how much attention she was given, her civilian form usually not noticed.

"The Akuma has been defeated, safe and sound!" Chat Noir smiled, stepping up to the crowd. "We were fortunate enough that there were no casualties, only minor injuries." Behind the flash of paparazzi and journalists the man who became Ringmaster was being handcuffed and pushed into a police cruiser. No one was ever charged for the things they did whilst they were an Akuma. He was being arrested for the horrible conditions of his circus,

"Who's the man next to you?" A reporter asked, nodding to the Venetian. "Is that an Akuma?"

" _Non_ , that is our new friend! His name is… er, his name is-"

"My name is Dragon Fire," Dragon Fire answered. "I was recently given the gift of my Miraculous, and, I admit, I still have much to learn." The cameras and reporters almost pushed Ladybug and Chat out of the way, eager to get a look at their new protector.

"How do you get a Miraculous?" a reporter shouted, thrusting a microphone into the Venetian's face.

"Are you sure you're qualified to handle an Akuma? You don't have any experience fighting them!"

"What can you do that Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot?" Dragon Fire looked to Chat Noir, not sure how to handle this situation.

" _Be honest_ ," Chat Noir mouthed. " _These people want to know who their guardian is. Let them love you, not fear you."_

"One does not simply _get_ a Miraculous, you are chosen. Each of us, or at least I was, were random civilians. Our actions made us a candidate for who or whatever chose us." The cameras flashed like a strobe light in his eyes. They were so intense that Dragon Fire used his wing to shield his eyes. Seeing them only made the journalists shout louder, cameras flash brighter, and more microphones and recording devices.

"Dragon Fire!" Alya Césaire pushed her way through the crowd. "You promised me an interview! How are _you_ gonna help Ladybug when she defends Paris just fine?" Before he could even think about the question, someone shouted, pointing to his torso.

"Oh my god!" A woman gasped. "Is that a knife!?" Sure enough the blade that Nino had thrown at him was still nestled in his gut. Blood had been flowing openly from the wound, dripping a red trail behind him. As soon as he saw the blood did Dragon Fire's body feel the pain. It was excruciating, like his stomach was on fire. The burning was not only form the outside, but inside as well.

"Everyone step back!" Chat Noir intervened, seeing the dragon go pale and scrunch up in pain. "We'll take care of this!" Ladybug put his arm over her shoulder, steading him. "Dragon Fire, we're gonna get you some-"

"I-" Dragon Fire spluttered, pushing them back. "Idonneedyourhelp!" his wings spread and Dragon Fire shot into the sky. The reporters went crazy at the spectacle, trying to follow him. Chat used this distraction to scrub away the drops of blood, lest someone use the DNA it held to track the man under the mask.

"I don't understand," Ladybug mumbled, watching him limp away towards the labyrinth of buildings on the far side of the park. "Miraculous Ladybug is supposed to heal all wounds and repair everything. Why didn't it work for him?"

"Who knows?" Chat Noir stood beside his love. "I just hope he'll be okay."

.

.

Dragon Fire's everything was on fire. His stomach was bleeding profusely, his torso burned with every movement that he made. But he had to get away. Dragon Fire needed to detransform and tend to his wounds. An alleyway no wider than a Smart Car was where he finally set himself down. Dragon Fire wrenched over, vomit exploding from his mouth. All that spinning mixed with huge amounts of adrenaline had taken a toll on him. The Venetian wiped his mouth with the back of his gauntlet and put his hands to the wound. The wine red gloves came away a brighter shade, the shade of fresh blood.

"Okay," Dragon Fire took several deep breaths, his hands grasping the hilt of the weapon. "You can do this." Dragon Fire had only touched the blade and he already wanted to scream. The pain rocketed through his body as he began to pull the blade from its bed. Dragon Fire almost passed out, his cries of agony masking the squelching of the blade being fiddled out of his intestines. Tears blinded his vision was steadily narrowing down to a pinpoint, as if the darkness was closing in on him. The serrated knife seemed to have no end. Pain flared even more so before it lessened. His vision was restored as the knife clattered to the ground. Blood spurted from the wound as the blade no longer tapped the flow. Dragon Fire felt his body become enveloped in flames once more, his Kwami left the Miraculous.

"Crap that hurt," Draggo groaned, whizzing around manically. "What a fight though!"

" _You_ got hurt? I was the one who got stuck by a knife!" Nikolai wheezed, clutching his stomach. "Oh fuck, I think I'm gonna die."

"You'll be fine man. I was able to absorb most of the damage." The Venetian's hands shook violently, his own blood caking his hands.

"How the fuck did you absorb anything!? Look at me!" Nikolai lifted his shirt to show Draggo the damage he sustained. "What the-?" The bleeding had stopped. The wound had closed and sutured itself. All that remained was a horrible red scar across his gut.

"I was able to heal the wound as I detransformed," Draggo explained, fluttering down and sitting on Nikolai's chest. "I told you I was the best!"

"If you're the best then how come I got hurt?" Nikolai snapped. "I thought you said that your armour was impenetrable!" Draggo hummed in thought, leaning forward to rest in Nikolai's cleavage. Logically, he should've been able to protect him, yet he didn't.

"Guess it's because I haven't been actively used for a long time," Draggo mused, pawing at the amulet that lay beside him. "Perhaps we haven't had enough time to bond either." Nikolai sighed as he pushed his shirt down and groaned as he pulled himself up.

"I can still feel it…" Nikolai hissed, clutching his stomach. _"Merda_ , _fa male."_

"Toughen up!" Draggo scoffed. "Are you a man or a pussy?" Nikolai ignored him, limping back towards _l'_ _Cirque Phénix_ where his friends, both superhero and normal, were waiting.

* * *

The old man's eyes fluttered open, his meditations drawing to a halt.

"What news?" A small green creature asked, floating before him.

"The champion is a suitable one," Master Fu nodded. "He preformed as expected."

"Are you sure giving the boy the Anklet was a good idea?" Wayzz asked, aiding the man up from the tatami mat flooring. "Draggo has always been volatile and reckless. And the power that the wielder can summon makes him an abomina-"

"Wayzz," Master Fu waved dismissively. "The boy will be fine. I trust him." Master Fu looked at the gramophone on the mantle affectionately. What looked much like an antique held so many secrets. Several Miraculous had been hidden there. So much power at his fingertips, yet the old man did not use it, for there was no need.

"Master," Wayzz persisted. "The Anklet is too dangerous. Why you ever recovered it is beyond me!" Master Fu sighed, shuffling into the kitchen to make some tea for the pair of them.

"Because, my friend, it is one piece of the Four."

"So why give the Venetian the Anklet? If you had to give him one of the Four you have the tiara right there! Better yet, give him the Bee's Comb or the Fox's Amulet!" The kettle whistled as the old man poured the contents into a mug and a thimble, each with leaves already placed in them.

"No, I have a plan for Nikolai." Master Fu hummed, sipping his drink. "First, I must locate the missing pieces of the Four…"


	8. Little Dragon

"Do you all remember the subject?" Fred Haprèle asked. "I want you to draw what you think." The class stood around in a large well-lit room, each one standing beside an easel.

"I suck at art…" Nino mumbled, picking up his pencil.

"Art is not what you see, but what you feel!" the assistant teacher explained. "Think of it like making music, Nino. Let your emotions flow and your heart guide your hand."

"But we're drawing regular stuff," Chloe snorted. "There's no heart to it!" Marinette shot Chloe a hostile glance, mumbling under her breath. Nikolai seemed oblivious to the hostility, letting his mind wander. Art was one of the few things that Nikolai was good at. His grades in school were average at best, his mathematics particularly suffered.

"Hey, kiddo." Draggo grunted, fluttering from his resting spot in Nikolai's pocket. "I'm hungry. Feeding time!"

"Not yet," Nikolai mumbled, squinting at the page. "I need to concentrate." Draggo fluttered over to the easel where the Venetian worked, watching his hand wielding a pencil glide over the paper.

"What're you doing?"

"Drawing!" Nikolai answered. "What does it look like-"

"Who are talking to?" Alix Kubdel asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"S-sorry!" Nikolai chuckled, acting flustered. "I mumble to myself when I'm concentrating." A blatant lie, but better than telling the truth. Alix shrugged, resuming her work. Fred Haprèle, the assistant teacher and resident art instructor was pacing the room, examining each persons work.

"Interesting!" Fred smiled, looking at Rose's piece. "And how do these traffic lights reflect the topic of ' _reality not as most people see it'_?" Rose explained how she was planning to draw the light colours how many colour-blind people would see it. The red and green would be a murky brown and only the yellow would stand out. _Monsieur_ Haprèle seemed ecstatic at the idea, praising her creativity.

"Draggo, strike a pose." Nikolai whispered.

"Pose? I'm no courtesan, I am a Kwami!" Draggo shot back, almost insulted.

"Please? I'll let you raid the herb pantry tonight!" Draggo had been drawn to the alluring smells of that cupboard for as long as he had been with Nikolai. There were things there that he'd only smelt in his dreams, and the Kwami wanted in.

"Fine," Draggo sighed. "What pose am I doing?"

"Give me the kind of pose that you'd give if you were about to swoop down on prey!" Draggo sighed again, mumbling to himself about how his old master never made him do such humiliating things. Nikolai, satisfied with the pose that he was modelling from, began to work his pencil and eraser around to turn the idea into work.

"Let's see what you've done, Nikolai!" Fred smiled, walking towards his easel. The smile soon disappeared, turning into a frown. "You've drawn a dragon."

" _Si!_ " Nikolai smiled, looking towards the teacher for approval.

"The subject is _'reality not as most people see it'_. I fail to see how this has to do with that." Nikolai was quick to justify the mythological creature's existence, his 'geek mode', as his little sister Anettea put it, coming to play.

"Oh but it does, _Monsieur!_ Look underneath the dragon and you see an aeroplane, its prey! It's showing that there's more to this world than we know, and that for all we know, we could be blind to what's really there! Have you heard of the theory of the five realities? It's where-"

"Nerd!" Chloé jeered from across the room.

" _Dieu aide moi,_ " The teacher sighed, throwing up his hands. "Nikolai, do it again, without the fantasy this time please." The teacher ripped the Venetian's work away and replaced it with a fresh sheet, leaving the discarded one on the floor. Nikolai felt a twist of pain seeing his work mistreated, but persevered, not wanting to lose further face.

* * *

 _Madame_ Mendeleiev droned on about Pythagoras' theorem, drawing the complex algebraic formulae on the board. Adrien listened attentively, oblivious to the other boys at his desk. Nino peeked over at Nikolai's book, furrowing his eyebrows. The Venetian had made a habit of spending maths and foreign language classes drawing in his book. For once, however, his page was completely blank. The DJ scribble on a shred of paper and passed it to him.

 _No drawing today?_ It read. Nikolai looked to the young man sitting to his left, who pretended that his making of the note never happened.

 _Non._ The Venetian replied.

 _Something on your mind?_

 _Just don't feel like it._ Draggo snored in his pocket, happily asleep in the tangle that was Nikolai's keys and loose change. The Kwami considered it his mobile horde.

 _You always draw tho. I wanted to c u finish that griffin!_

 _CBS_.

"Who's phone is that?" _Madame_ Mendeleiev asked, turning to the class. 'Adrien, is it yours?"

"It's mine!" Nikolai raised his hand. " _Scusarsi, insegnante!"_ Nikolai tapped his pocket, waking the beast inside.

"You're in France, young man. Speak French! And tie up your hair!"

" _Oui, Madame,"_ Nikolai sighed, scrunching his ponytail up into a bun. _Madame_ Mendeleiev was an especially cruel teacher who showed her students no mercy, which was why Nikolai bore through the excruciating class. Why was he inside when he could be out there? For all he knew there could be an Akuma rampaging through the city at this very moment! And where was Dragon Fire? Stuck learning about how to measure the sides of a triangle. What he didn't know was that his friends-in-arms suffered the same fate. Draggo shifted in Nikolai's pocket, his ears twitching. There was something odd about this class. The students, Nikolai's friends, smelt strange. In his eyes all humans were beneath him, unnoticeable. Yet the group of humans that Nikolai spent time with… there was something about them that made the Kwami uneasy. Draggo could sense something about them, something that was not right. Draggo had felt this for weeks, but he'd passed it off as his nose not working correctly, there was something attached to them, something that both drew him and made him scared, and angry...

* * *

Thankfully it wasn't long before the class ended. Nikolai usually waited for his friends to pack their things before leaving. Today he did no such thing. Nikolai left without a word, ignoring his friends' hails. While he usually had training with Chhat Noir set on these days, he ignored it. The events of the day had soured his mood.

"Hey kid? We gotta talk," Draggo announced, watching his human begin his walk home.

"What?" Nikolai grunted.

"Okay, so those people you hang out with. Don't they seem odd?"

"Well, no one's normal," Nikolai shrugged. "I mean look at me, I'm a living trash mammal." Draggo hummed in agreement, dodging the Venetian's flick of annoyance.

"This is serious. The model and the baker. I do not trust them." Nikolai Moreau shot the tiny dragon a scowl. Why would the Kwami care about something like that? All he did was sleep!

"What's wrong with Adrien and Marinette? They're good people!"

"I just-" Draggo started. "Look. They're your friends, but even your friends can betray you." Nikolai tutted, picking up his pace.

"You're such a downer! Lighten up, will you? You're acting like we're in a movie!"

"Moo…vlie?" Draggo asked, tilting his head. "What is a moovlie?" Nikolai didn't respond, quickenig his pace. The relationship between Draggo and Nikolai Moreau was a shaky one, nothing like Marinette and Tiki, or Adrien and Plagg. Draggo meant well, however he was impulsive. The dragon often acted and said things without considering the consequences. Nikolai, on the other hand, was overly sensitive, he took any kind of critisism as an attack, and used his powers as a way of venting his anger.

"Can you please tell me what this moovlie is?" Draggo asked as Nikolai climbed up the stairs to his family's apartment.

"A _movie_ is something that can be shown on the television, thebox that shows images and makes sounds."

"We did not have such contraptions when the last Champion was alive!" Draggo nodded sagely. "You are fortunate to have been born in this time, kid!"

"How long ago was that anyway? You keep mentioning your last master but I icdon't know anything about them." Nikolai asked, peering into the mailbox for any letters. Draggo thought for several moments, wondering how to answer that. It was very unlikely that his human would know who his last partner was.

"Who's the current king of Troy?" Draggo asked. Nikolai stopped in his tracks and scrunched up his face. Troy? As in the mythological city? Nikolai knew the story off by heart! It was one of the first myths that he ever read, and that started his lifelong passion for the fantastical and extraordinary.

"Draggo," Nikolai started, shaking his head. "Troy has been destroyed for over three thousand years."

"What!?" Draggo whizzed towards Nikolai, stopping only inches away. "No, that can't be! The walls has held for over ten years, nothing was gonna get through!" Draggo went pale, looking around him as if everything was alien. "…What happened after we got separated?" Nikolai, afraid that the Kwami might faint or fly away, caught the little friend in his hands.

"Draggo, look at me." Nikolai cupped the dragon in his vessels, trying to warm him with his breath. "Who was your last partner?" Draggo gulped, looking away.

"Achilles," Draggo mumbled. "His name is, was, Achilles."


	9. From Past to Present

"Wait, _the_ Achilles? Nikolai gasped, dropping the pile of letters in his hand. "You're shitting me!"

"Oh, you know him?" Draggo twirled in the air, swooping down on a moth. Even though the Kwami only gained sustenance from food with spice, the dragon liked to pounce and swoop on anything that could be an unlucky target. Moths, cypselae and even Mochi had become one of his victims.

"Know him? Everyone knows of Achilles!" As soon as Nikolai unlocked the door to the family apartment, Mochi was mewling for attention. Nikolai picked the cat up in his arms as he waved to his mother, who was busy teaching a student to play piano. Nikolai thumped up the stairs and slammed his room door shut. He threw all his belongings on the bed and pushed Draggo onto the desk.

"Start talking," Nikolai instructed, sitting down. "Tell me everything."

"Don't push me around," Draggo hissed, nipping at Nikolai's hand. "Just remember that I am a Kwami!"

"Sorry," Nikolai mumbled, grabbing for a notepad and paper. "So, your last master was Achilles. Tell me about it." Draggo sighed, fluttering over to his horde of spare change and bottlecaps. They were painful memories for the Kwami, things that for him were very recent.

"It's… difficult to talk about." Draggo mumbled. The dragon look sad, as if he were remembering a traumatic event.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Nikolai shrugged. "I get it." Nikolai rummaged through his bag for the notes he had taken home. Among them was a consent form he needed his parents to sign. The young man let the dragon to his musings whilst he went to his parents. Draggo fluttered over to the large circular window that overlooked the Seine and the city.

"I'm sorry I wasn't stronger." Draggo mumbled, the memories resurfacing.

* * *

 _Achilles sat with his Myrmidon, the blood of their victims covering them. Not an hour before they were jumping from their trireme and stormed the beaches before Troy. Achilles was unscathed in the fight, unlike his friends. Many had been wounded, others dead._ _He was known through Greece for his powers. He could not be wounded, he moved like the wind and struck with the fury of a hydra. His blade never wore or chipped. Some had even said that Achilles could fly. Patroclus, the adopted brother of the hero, was the only one amongst the mortals who knew the fabled Achilles' source of power. A seemingly insignificant and priceless trinket on his ankle, a jewel shaped like a dragon. A gift given to him by the wise centaur Chiron. That morning during the fighting the_ _Myrmidon had stormed and pillaged a temple to the sun god, Apollo. Angered, the god told Hector, prince of Troy how to defeat the mighty Achilles. Athena warned Achilles that should he face Hector, he would die. Not a day later, Hector challenged Achilles to a duel. But the man who owned the Dragon Miraculous was afraid. He did not want to die. But if he did not accept the challenge, he would be seen as weak, and lose the respect of his men._ _Patroclus knew this and_ _decided that he would fight in his stead. That night,_ _Patroclus stole the Dragon Miraculous from Achilles. Whilst Achilles slumbered in the next morning, Patroclus and Hector battled. Patroclus believed that he would have no problem defeating the Trojan, but he was doomed as soon as he stole the Miraculous. Despite the Dragon's Anklet giving him immense power, Patroclus and the Kwami had not bonded. Their form was flawed, and it did not provide optimal protection. Hector saw this and killed him with ease. The prince of Troy stole the armour of Achilles, the Dragon Miraculous, and retreated into the city. Enraged and distraught that his brother had been killed, Achilles volunteered to join the brave Odysseus inside the great Wooden Horse. When the city of Troy was burning, Achilles found his armour, the Miraculous, and donned it. Hector, seeing mighty Achilles in his dragon form, thrust his spear into his heel. The impact broke the cord of the Anklet, severing the bond between man and Kwami. Achilles was killed, and Draggo almost destroyed._

* * *

That was all Draggo knew. After his Miraculous was damaged, the next thing he remembered was that he was watching a young Venetian looking through pamphlets.

"Hm?" the Kwami grunted at the sound of something thumping onto the desk next to him. "What do you want?"

"Reow," Mochi responded. The cat stared at the strange creature that sat upon a pile of shiny objects. His paw stretched out to see if Draggo was friend or foe.

"Do not touch me!" Draggo hissed, shooting a stream of smoke upon the cat. Mochi yowled and sneezed. The cat scowled at the Kwami, his tail flicking from side to side angrily. "Next time I'll burn your nose!" Mochi seemed to realise that his threat was legitimate, and scuttled away. Downstairs, Nikolai sipped a glass of cordial. He enjoyed listening to Maria Moreau and her many students play on the grand piano. Today's lesson had serious talent, playing some of Chopin's Nocturne as if it was easy as _Frère Jacques_ _. In his hand was the consent form for an excursion into the Parisian Catacombs. It was an exciting day, but he had mixed feeling about attending. Any opportunity he had to spend time with his friends was good. But the Catacombs, they sent shivers down his spine. His stomach heaved at the thought of being stuck in those dank, dark, cramped tunnels. Nikolai had to grasp the bench to stop himself from stumbling._

 _"You okay,_ _bebé?_ _" Maria asked, looking turning around from her piano chair. Her maternal instincts were unparalleled, being able to detect the strife of her children as if she were psychic.  
"_ _Si,_ _mother," Nikolai answered. "Just a little tired." Nikolai took the papers and went through the lounge to his father's office. The door was always locked tight, a large oaken door that looked hideous against the white modern apartment. Nikolai gulped, his knuckles rasping against the wood._

 _"Maria, I told you not to disturb me!" Duccio's muffled voice answered._

"It's Nikolai," chimed he. Silence filled the atmosphere, the papers in his hand quivering. What seemed like minutes passed before the bolt on the door slid open, allowing the man to peek through the opening.

"Enter," Duccio grunted, allowing his son to do such thing. Nikolai almost choked from the thick clouds of smoke that glided through the room. Duccio paced back to a large desk facing the window, a lit pipe in his mouth. "How was school?"

"Alright," Nikolai answered. "I got a form for an excursion. Can you sign it?" Nikolai put the pages on the mahogany desk, strewn with papers. Duccio gave it a quick look over, frowning.

" _La catacomba_?" Duccio raised his eyebrow. "You can't go there. I won't sign this." Nikolai felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Why was his father declining him this trip?

"But dad," Nikolai whined in a childish tone. "I want to go!" Duccio ignored the consent forms, returning to the exams before him.

"I thought that'd be the last place you would want to go. A dark, dank underground tunnel made of dead people's bones? People get lost down there and die." Nikolai went pale at the thought, needing to put a hand on the desk to support him.

"We'll be with a guide," Nikolai countered. "Besides, it's time I finally started overcoming my fears!" a flashy grin full of bravado was all Nikolai could pull to hide his terror. But he wanted to do this, he _had_ to. If he were to look weak in from of his friends, they wouldn't see him as an equal. "It's my birthday soon, I'm growing up!" Duccio sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair.

"Alright, Duccio mumbled. "I'll talk to your mother about it." Nikolai beamed, almost hugging his father before running out to tell Anettea.

" _Grazie, padre!"_ Nikolai chimed, running to the door. "I'll go get my-"

"Wait," the command cracked like a whip, stopping Nikolai dead in his tracks. Come back here." The joy sapped from him, Nikolai obeyed, standing by his father's side. Duccio turned in his chair and pointed to a chair in the corner. "Pull that up here and have a seat." It was an old leather chair, which crumpled at being sat in. Duccio stared at his son, like he was silently interrogating him.

"…Did you need me for something?" Nikolai asked, looking from side to side awkwardly.

"It's almost April," Duccio finally said. "You know what that means?" Nikolai knew all to well. It was a time that the Moreau family spent with their Nona in Ronda, to celebrate one of Andalusia's oldest traditions.

" _Feria de Sevilla!"_ Nikolai smiled. "Do they celebrate it in Paris?"

"Yes," Duccio answered. "Your mother has already entered you and your sister into a competition. But that is not why I wanted to talk." Duccio stared at his son with cold, unforgiving eyes. "Your birthday is after that. You will be turning 16." Nikolai rolled his eyes. His father had been giving him the same lecture for the last two years. "When you turn 16, you are given the opportunity to join one of the most prestigious organisations in Europe."

"The Gondoliers," Nikolai nodded, knowing the name all too well. "Your super secret boy's club."

"One of the most influential and respected associations in the western world," Duccio corrected. "Our family has been amongst its ranks since it was first formed. And it is your duty-"

"My duty to fulfil my role as your heir," Nikolai interrupted. "I've heard this before." Duccio's eye twitched in annoyance. His son was a shit at times, especially when things concerned grave matters.

"I understand that, Nikolai. But you need to make your decision soon." Nikolai shrugged, leaning back in the chair. He had little interest in this group. For so long his mother had tried to shield him from them, and now he was supposed to join them with open arms?

"What are some of the perks of joining?" Nikolai asked.

"Well, you join the ranks of one of the most respected private organisations in Europe. They are a family, one who looks after one another." Whenever Nikolai asked about the Gondoliers when he was younger, he always received vague responses like this. What were they really doing?

"What are you guys really?" Nikolai crossed his arms. "Cultists? Cannibals? A rebirth of the Knights Templar? The Illuminati?" Each one of those accusations seemed to annoy Duccio further. The ignorance and utter disrespect of his son etched cracks in the man's soul, like the ocean wearing down the rocks.

"Believe what you will about us," Duccio snapped, standing up and looking out the window. "Just know that you can be part of something much larger than yourself."

' _Who says I'm not?'_ A voice in Nikolai's head buzzed. His life as Dragon Fire was something that was far greater than anything the could ever hope to accomplish. To protect the people of France from a tyrannical enemy they couldn't ever hope to overcome was an honour, despite the injuries he had sustained.

"For now, my answer is no," Nikolai stood to leave. "But my ancer might change in time."

* * *

Nikolai, having had his parents sign the forms, was free for the evening. He claimed he was 'going to hang out with Nino', when in fact, he was patrolling the city. Kwami and human became one, and the offspring of he transformation soared over Paris. Every moment that passed was another chance for an Akuma to attack. There was enough going on in the world, the last thing that the people needed was another monster rampaging through. Yet as the sun set, all was calm. The Paris air was crisp. Music flowed from the streets below, musicians of all kinds taking up instrument to bring life to the city. In his mind, there wasn't a singe thing wrong at all. The dragon man found a perch on a rooftop and watched the sun set.

" _Ore d'amore non ho,"_ Dragon Fire hummed, letting his legs dangle off the edge as he toyed with his communicator. " _Per non innamorarmi più,_ _Io non ho._ _Che momenti"_ his clawed hand pressed onto the holographic screen in rhythmic beeps as he sung his favourite song. Dragon Fire paused to take a bite from a doughnut he had purchased earlier, smiling as the cinnamon sweetness trickled down his throat. Life was good. Besides arseholes at school and sustaining the above recommended mortal injuries, of course. Nikolai, and in turn Dragon Fire, had friends, a good school, and his own secret getaway that no one else knew of. _"Parlo soltanto-"_

"I didn't know you could sing," A voice snickered behind him. Dragon Fire almost fell off the building because he jumped so high out of his skin.

" _Gesù,_ Chat! You scared the crap outta me!" Chat Noir gave Dragon Fire a cheeky grin, taking a seat by his side.

"Cats are quiet, I thought you knew that?" Dragon Fire mumbled under his breath, returning to his task at hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm rigging up the GPS on here with the contacts on my phone," Dragon Fire answered. "So when shit hits the fan, I can make sure my friends and family aren't gonna be in danger." Chat Noir gave Dragon Fire a respectful nod, his tail swaying side to side as he did.

"That's pretty good of you, man. Protect those that you love."

"Why else would we be fighting?" Dragon Fire hummed, putting down his hand. "Despite, y'know, destroying Akumas." Chat didn't reply, his intrest in the sun. To Dragon Fire, he look oddly familiar. Like the man underneath the mask was someone he knew from a distant dream. The jewel on Dragon Fire's left gauntlet beeped, glowing brightly and buzzing.

"Your girlfriend?" Chat teased. Dragon Fire shook his head, showing him the holographic screen. On it was the Ladyblog, Alya's pride and joy.

"Apparently there's a bank robbery down on _Rue Jouffroy-d'Abbans_ ," Dragon Fire explained. "Wanna go kick some ass?" Chat's eyes lit up. A spark of competition flowed through him as the cat sprang up and drew his baton.

"The one near the Gabriel store, _oui?_ The last one there's buys the other a burger!" Chat had already sprung from the building, his baton bridging the great gaps between buildings. Dragon Fire roared in agreement, spreading his wings to join the fight.


	10. Catacombs

" _Bonjour_ , class!" _Madame_ Bustier started, watching her students assemble by one of the many entrances to the Catacombs. "I hope everyone's here." The teacher took a headcount, the final count reaching the desired number. "Now, I'd like to introduce our guide for today-" Nikolai stopped listening. His eyes were on the abysmal hole that lay before them. The world was drowning as the black hole swallowed everything around it. An eerie, foul smelling wind belched from inside the catacombs. Nikolai wanted to throw up, run away and scream all at once. Yet his feet were sealed in place. Any attempt to let out a cry was cut off by the lump that choked him.

"You okay?" Adrien asked, seeing his paled friend.

"Y-yeah," Nikolai mumbled. "Just chilly."

"On a blistering summer day?" Nino raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're gonna yack, dude." Nikolai staggered back, the blood draining from his head.

"You should take a seat," Alya tutted as she caught him. "I'll let _Madame_ Bustier know that-"

" _Non_ ," Nikolai argued. "I just need to man up."

"Man up?" Rose tilted her head. "Why would you need to man up?" The Venetian sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I have claustrophobia," Nikolai admitted. The group of friends didn't even bat an eye, hearing his phobia as casually as someone was talking about the weather.

"We'll be with you the whole time," Marinette smiled, putting a comforting hand on Nikolai's shoulder. "If you need to get out, just let us know." Nikolai already felt a little more confident, knowing his friends were by his side.

"I'm here too," Draggo mumbled from his pocket. "Don't be a chicken!"

"I appreciate it," Nikolai smiled, looking at his friends. " _Grazie._ "

"I hope you're ready to go on an underground adventure!" the old man next to _Madame_ Bustier smiled. Those words made Nikolai almost collapse. More like an underground nightmare. "We just opened up a new section to the public last week, you'll be the first people to get in there!" Nikolai almost sprayed the contents of his stomach on the pavement. This was one of his worst nightmares, going underground. Yet here he was, against his parent's advice. In Nikolai's eyes he was growing up, he had to put away his childhood fears. What better way of that then throwing himself into them? "Now I want you to stay together. It's easy to get lost down there!" The man began the expedition into the Catacombs, followed by the chatting class of students. Nikolai's feet were frozen in place. His chest was so tight that he couldn't breathe. His friends had gone without him, leaving him in the darkness that was swallowing him up.

"You're okay," A voice said. The Venetian flinched, the words washing away the dark. "Just stay with me." Nikolai turned to look at who it was. Juleka stood there, giving him an encouraging smile. "You're very brave for doing this."

"I don't feel brave," Nikolai admitted through chattering teeth. "I'm terrified." Juleka thought for a few moments on how to help.

"You like dragons right? Think of this like we're going into a dragon's cave to get the hoard!" Nikolai couldn't help but smile at the thought of that. The Venetian donned in shinning armour, a mighty steed by his side, off to slay a dragon! The darkness around the tunnel receded, he saw the world as it was. He had to be brave. Brave like Achilles.

"I guess we'd better go see what the dragon has in his hoard," Draggo snickered. The Kwami fluttered out from the Venetian's pocket and sat upon his shoulder.

"I know about _your_ hoard!" Nikolai snickered. "Mochi was snuffling around in your pile under my bed." Draggo hissed a jet of smoke in annoyance.

"I'll eat that rodent…" Draggo grumbled. Nikolai took a deep breath and entered the tunnel.

* * *

The air was dry and stale inside, getting less clean the further they went in.

"These tunnels have been part of Parisian life for hundreds of years!" The tour guide explained. "They were originally mine shafts, that spanned across the south part of the city."

"And that's why there aren't any skyscrapers in this area, _oui_?" _Madame_ Bustier asked on behalf of the class. Nikolai hated when teachers did that, asking questions to try to get the kids to learn.

"That's right! These tunnels stretch right underneath the streets of the city, and the tunnels can't handle the pressure of such heavy buildings!" Nikolai stuck close to his friends, the light of his torch darting in all directions. To him, every noise was some kind of monster in the dark, every clatter of pebbles on the ground a cave in. "Over time the many tunnels have collapsed, and even now we're still uncovering them!"

"Will we be going into the ossuary?" Kim asked. It was surprising how even though they were only a few metres underneath the loud city, the only noises that filled the tunnels were the scuffing of feet against the dirt.

" _Non,_ " The guide answered. "We're in the wrong part of the tunnels. Today we will be exploring parts that we've been excavating for the last few months. Did you know that _La Résistance_ used these very tunnels when fighting the Nazi occupation?"

"What's a Nazi?" Draggo asked, hitching a ride on Nikolai's ponytail.

"I'll tell you later," The Venetian whispered, giving the Kwami a scratch on the head.

"You okay?" Nino looked at him, hearing the Venetian mumbling to himself.

" _Si,_ " Nikolai answered. "Just thinking is all." The guide took a sharp turn down a tunnel, leading them further underground. Nikolai was shaking in his boots, his teeth chattering. His semi-calm exterior was covering the sheer panic inside him. Each step they took down a decrepit stairwell felt like they were descending further and further into Hell.

"Now I must warn you," the guide started as they gathered around him. "Though we try to keep the Catacombs clean of vermin, they are around." Of all the students to be irked by this, Chloé was the most vocal.

"What!?" shrieked she. "How can you let us down here if there are rats?"

"W-well, the Education Board passed it and-"

"I'll have you know that my father's the mayor! If I so much as _see_ a rat, I'll have him deal with you!"

"Chloé, enough." _Madame_ Bustier sighed, shaking her head. "You can't blame the _Monsieur_ for something that isn't out of his control." The guide, taken back by the threats to his livelihood, moved the group on.

"I read last year that people often get lost and die in here," Alix started. Nikolai was just about ready to put his Flames On, or run. Probably both. "How often does that happen?"

"Very rarely," the guide answered. "We dragged the remains of a young person that had been eaten by feral dogs and cats last year, but that was on the other side of the city."

"Oh, that's horrible!" Rose shrieked

"That's neat," Juleka smiled, much to the shock of Rose.

"So it's not just rats we gotta look out for, but also feral animals?" Nino guessed.

"And the occasional fox!" The guide added, descending a ladder.

"Outstanding…" Nikolai grumbled, first down the ladder. Things were getting worse and worse. Now he not only had to watch out for little vermin, but now also dogs looking for their next meal! Nikolai was becoming hyper vigilant to every change of light, every movement. Ivan was acting sheepish, sticking close to his friends.

"You okay big guy?" Nikolai asked, approaching the gentle giant.

"Ivan doesn't like rats," answered he, trying his best to keep his loud voice low. "They scare me." The big giant, frightened by the harmless tiny creature? It was almost like David and Goliath. In most situations, Nikolai would've at least snickered. But down here in the Catacombs, he was more scared than he'd ever been in his life.

"Ivan _mon ami_ , I think that they're just as scared of you." Nikolai tried to console him. "You'll be fine!"

"Just don't tell anyone, okay?" Ivan looked at the Venetian with pleading eyes. Someone so big and outgoing, like Ivan, seemed fearless. For him to suddenly be terrified must be humiliating.

"Your secret's safe with me," Nikolai slapped him on the shoulder. "You aren't the only one who-"

"Ivan, Nikolai, keep up!" _Madame_ Bustier snapped. The two teenagers gave each other a quick look before rejoining the others.

* * *

"How many people are buried in the Catacombs?" Nathanaël asked.

"Six million," the guide answered. "There's likely to be many more that we've missed, or whose remains have been lost to time." The man was steadily getting further and further ahead of the group, his long legs taking great strides. "Now I want you to all keep up, we've got a lot to see in not much time!" The party was trying to keep up, but five of the students struggled. Adrien, Ivan and Nikolai were at the head of the stragglers, while Chloé and Sabrina were sticking close to the model.

"Oh, this is absolutely disgusting!" Chloé tutted. "My shoes are going to be ruined."

"You can always but new ones," Nikolai shrugged, stepping over a pile of what smelt like guano.

"How can you even _say_ that?" Chloé snapped. "These are custom made shoes all the way from Sweden! These are the only one of its kind!"

"And you brought them down into a sewer?" the Venetian retorted. Ivan gave a hearty laugh. Adrien chuckled along too, oblivious to Chloé's anger.

"Honestly, Nikolai! I thought you'd be more cultured than this." The Venetian ignored her jabs, wading through the darkness. Adrien looked over at him. Nikolai was shivering and teeth were chattering. The movements of his torch were frantic, darting in all directions.

"Hey," Adrien placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ah!" Nikolai jumped, dropping his light. He almost screamed, running for the entrance.

"Easy," the model smiled, taking his hand back. "You're okay."

"So long as you don't give me a heart attack." Nikolai snapped, reaching down for his torch. Adrien looked hurt, moving on to talk to Ivan.

"Wait," Nikolai reached for him. "I'm sorry. I'm just not really coping, is all. I didn't mean to snap at you." Adrien gave him a soft grin, shrugging.

"It's okay," Adrien nodded. "I can tell this mustn't be easy for you." Ivan put his beefy arms around them both, joining the boys. Both Nikolai and Adrien staggered under his weight but managed to support him.

"Ivan also doesn't like this." He said in his grumbling voice.

"Well we're here for you too!" Adrien laughed, slapping his arm lightly. "I'll keep the monsters away." For someone who had very little social interaction as a child, Adrien was extremely caring. There was not a sliver of selfishness in him, like he was born to please others.

"Don't forget to look after yourself too," Nikolai looked at the model.

"I've been through worse." Adrien shrugged off. If only Nikolai knew of what he meant. The Akumas that plagued Paris had certainly taken their toll on him. Every time he was injured, Ladybug healed him with her powers, but the psychological scars still remained. The party of five arrived at a T-intersection of the tunnels.

"Which way do we go?" Sabrina asked. Each path was equally dark and quiet. As if the class before them hadn't even entered _**FRENCH FOR CATACOMBS**_ **.** "Did we take a wrong turn?"

"I was watching them, they definitely came down this way." Nikolai answered. "Can you hear them?" There was no sound, only echoes of their breathing. Adrien looked into his shirt to consult Plagg.

"Hey," Adrien whispered. "You there?" The tiny black cat was snoozing, enjoying the warmth of his master's chest. Ivan checked his mobile to text Kim. Several metres deep underground meant no signal. Nikolai reached into the pocket of his pants and retrieved the dragon Kwami that lay within.

We got separated from the group," Nikolai explained. "Any idea which way to go?"

"Hell if I should know," Draggo shrugged, floating up to look around them. "There is something… off."

"Despite the fact that we're lost?" Nikolai replied. "What else is there?" The Kwami floated down each pass, then over each of the humans who were oblivious to his existence.

"I feel the a sense of…bad luck. There's the scent of death and despair around these humans. I don't trust them, stay alert." The dragon whizzed away before he could explain further.

' _SO helpful.'_ Nikolai thought, shrugging it off. Draggo was an eccentric one, but even that was strange by his standards. "Well we can't do nothing, I say we take a vote on which way to go."

"Who put _you_ in charge?" Chloé snapped. "If anyone should be in charge, it should be me! My father is the mayor, after all!" Sabrina voiced her support, whilst Ivan sided with Nikolai.

"Nikolai is a better leader than you," Ivan practically shouted. "He'll get us to the rest of the class in no time!"

"Uhh, guys?" Adrien started. The model was drowned out by the argument unfolding in front of him.

"Who asked for your opinion?" Sabrina retorted. "Chloe is the best choice fore being a leader." Adrien stood between the to factions, his head swivelling as each side shouted their opinions.

"Lay off Ivan!" Nikolai shot back. "What has he done to be treated like that?"

"This isn't getting anywhere…" Adrien sighed. The commotion was loud enough to wake the sleepy Plagg, who floated out from Adrien's shirt.

"What's going on?" Plagg yawned. "Is it time for lunch?"

"No, it's not time for lunch." Adrien answered, stepping away from the bickering teenagers. It was paramount that they not discover him talking to himself. That could lead to them finding out about his identity, or draw the ire of his over-controlling father. "We are in an excursion and git separated from the group. Do we head left or right?" Plagg looked down each of the tunnels, his miniscule nose twitching.

"Left," the Kwami answered before going back to sleep in Adrien's shirt. The model thanked his partner quietly, letting him get comfortable. Adrien couldn't help but smile. As much of a pain as Plagg could be, he was always there for him. No matter what was going on, he could rely on the cat to help him.

"Well we've got to do something, or else we're gonna starve ourselves of oxygen!" Nikolai's voice shattered Adrien's calm. The smile shrank away as they all turned to him. "Adrien, you're the only one who hasn't said who they want to lead us out of here. Me, or Chloé?" Chloé batted her long eyelashes at him flirtatiously, trying to win him over with her beauty. Adrien looked between the two pairs, but gave them a shrug.

"I'm going to go this way," Adrien announced, pointing down the left passage as he started down it. The four others exchanged confused looks before giving chase.

"Adrien, wait!" Sabrina called. "How do you know which way to go?" Adrien stopped in his tracks. What could he possibly say? A magic cat that gives him superpowers told him?

"Oh, just… intuition," Adrien lied, continuing on.

"Ivan trusts Adrien!" Ivan boomed, keeping up with the model. Chloé pushed past Nikolai and Ivan to link their arms together.

"Oh Adrien, you're so smart!" Chloé cooed, placing a kiss on his cheek.

" _Merci,_ " Adrien chuckled, trying his best to push her away. However she was persistent in her efforts. Chloé took both of his hands in hers and nuzzled her head into his neck.

"Ugh…" Nikolai guttered, feeling close to throwing up. Whether it was the horrible tunnels he was in or the sight of Chloé sticking to Adrien like a leech that made him want to hurl, he didn't know.

* * *

They had been walking for what seemed like hours. Sweat dripped down Nikolai's forehead as they trekked onwards. Personally, he didn't like the odds they had. even though it was exactly a fifty-fifty chance they were going the right way, who knows what could happen? They could get lost, encounter a pack of feral dogs, or worse. With every passing minute, Nikolai was more tempted to put his Flames On and escape.

"What happens if we don't find them?" Nikolai mumbled to Adrien. "I hate to be that guy, but things aren't looking great." Adrien kept his pace, only looking back to make sure everyone was keeping up.

"Just trust me," Adrien said. "I got a good feeling about this." Nikolai felt the tiny weight of something press onto his shoulder. Draggo had left his pocket and settled on Nikolai's shoulder.

"I think this kid is an idiot," Draggo sneered. "Let's just go Flames on and get outta here!" Nikolai wiped the seat from his face, looking at the dragon in shock.

"Dude!" Nikolai hissed back. "There's so many wrong things with that. One, Adrien's a nice guy, lay off of him. Two, I can't fly through walls. Three, everyone down here would know I'm-"

"Are you alright?" Ivan asked. "Nikolai is talking to himself!" Nikolai flinched as the giant's meaty hand grabbed him. The Venetian flushed, afraid that he'd compromised his identity.

"Y-yeah!" Nikolai beamed, acting as if nothing was wrong. "This place is just getting to me, is all." Chloé snickered, whispering something malicious in Sabrina's ear.

" _Puttana_ ," Nikolai hissed, glaring at them. Why were they always so mean? What joy did they take out of hurting others?

"Watch your step," Adrien warned as a sickening crunch filled the tunnel. "I think I just stepped on a bone."

" _Merde,_ Now we're gone into a feral dog den."

"Ew!" Chloé wailed. "Oh this is absolutely horrible!" Sabrina tried her best to keep her calm, but to no avail. Once Chloé was in a frenzy it was almost impossible to calm her. "We're going to die down here!" The tightening feeling around Nikolai crawled over him again. Everything seemed to become a blur as the darkness closed up over him. He wanted to scream, but nothing came from his throat. He couldn't move. He couldn't _breathe_. The darkness around him felt like a black sludge, swallowing everything around him.

* * *

"…kid." A voice whispered. The sludge was flowing over him. Nikolai tried his best to stay above it but it pulled him under.

"Kid." the voice was louder this time, tying to pull him up from the dark.

"Kid!"

Nikolai's eyes shot open as he began to take huge, raspy breaths.

"C'mon kid, stay with me!" Draggo slapped his cheek. Nikolai tried to sit up, but was held down by a pair of hands.

"Don't get up so quickly," The soft voice purred. It sounded familiar, like an old friend. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh…" Nikolai groaned, his vision returning. "What happened?"

"You passed out." The voice answered. What was like a distant memory turned out to be Adrien, placing a wet towel across his head. "You hit the floor pretty hard on your way down."

"Anything hurt?" Ivan asked, kneeling down over him. Anyone who didn't know the man would certainly be frightened by Nikolai's position under him. Nikolai was also guilty of feeling the pang of intimidation from him.

"Only my pride," the Venetian answered, struggling to his feet. His neck hurt, like he'd been kicked in the throat.

"We should get him to a doctor or something,"

"There aren't any down here," Nikolai smiled. "Unless you want Adrien to dress up like a nurse!"

"Let's keep moving," Chloé ordered, moving on. "We've wasted enough time waiting for you." Sabrina flashed Nikolai an annoyed look, before following Chloé.

"God, what a bitch." Draggo mumbled, whizzing around his human's head, checking for injuries.

"Tell me about it." Nikolai replied. "How long was I out?"

"Too long," Sabrina answered. Nikolai was ready to shoot back a reply, but his head was aching too much for another argument.

"Probably a couple of minutes at most," Adrien answered. But we really need to get moving and catch up with the others." The reality of their current position came flooding back to him. Nikolai was trapped underground with little chance of escaping, the Catacombs under the 14th Arrondissement were a literal labyrinth they were trapped in. Nikolai began to shake again, giving in to his fears. The air deep underground was stale and in short supply. That didn't stop him from hyperventilating.

"Hey, chill out." Draggo said, frowning at him. "You're freaking over nothing."

"Easy," Adrien put a gentle hand on Nikolai's shoulder. "You're safe here." Nikolai turned to the model, his eyes wide in terror.

"I've gotta get outta here." Nikolai mumbled. "I don't wanna die down here!" Sabrina turned to him, her face scrunching up. Chloé gave him a disapproving look.

"Ivan will protect you," announced he, pulling the panicked student into his embrace. Nikolai flinched away at first, tense. But the warmth of his body was like a blanket, inviting and safe. Nikolai felt he could trust that Ivan would protect him. The man slowly loosened, the tension easing from his body.

"Pathetic," Chloé tutted. "You'll never be a man if you don't face your fears." Adrien, usually calm and collected, shot her a look that said one thing.

 _Stop._

Chloé was smart enough to take the message and turned away with a _humph_.

"Come on, Sabrina." Chloé snidely instructed, snapping her finger at her as she went. "Since those _boys_ would rather play around, it's up to us to find those idiots who abandoned us!" Chloé hadn't walked more than ten metres when there was the sound of rope snapping. Shortly followed after was the sound of metal wires zipping along the ground and into the air. Sabrina stood in horror as Chloé dangled immobile in the air.

* * *

"Okay, so explain it all again." Alya instructed, the smile of her face reminiscent to a shark's.

"We lost sight of you all, and went left at the crossroad." Adrien started. "We kept going until-"

"But you're alright though?" Marinette asked with desperation. "I mean, I don't want to sound annoying or creepy or anything, it's just that I wanted to know. B-but if I didn't ask I'd look like I didn't care and I do and-" The girl in pigtails continued rambling on, words just spewing out of her mouth like an open floodgate.

" _Anyway,_ " Alya butted in, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Keep telling the story." Marinette's face was as red as a ladybug's back as she trailed off into silence.

"Anyway," Adrien continued. "We went left at the crossroads, and Chloé walked into a trap. Chloé kept screaming until you heard and found us." Nikolai sat away from the group, sipping at a bottle of water. On one side of the path Chloé was being pampered be her father's servants and Sabrina. On the other was _Madame_ Bustier was yelling at the guide.

"How you feeling?" Draggo asked, the Kwami drifting around in the wind.

"Words can't describe how glad I am to be out of there and in open air." The sun's rays shining through the clouds. The whisper of the wind through leaves on the trees. It felt like he hadn't experienced these things in decades.

"Can't believe the person I get stuck with is afraid of the dark," Draggo spat, his turquoise eyes shooting Nikolai a look.

"Yeah, well not all of us can be demigods." The little orange dragon fluttered his maroon wings as it flitted, secretly also glad to be out of the catacombs.

"Thought you could use some company," Rose announced as Juleka and her sat by him. "That must've been very tough on you, going through all that!" Nikolai shrugged, trying to act cool in front of them.

"I handled it," Nikolai said simply. "I was fine really."

" _Liar!_ " Draggo hissed. Nikolai shot him a look. With is head turned away from them, Juleka easily spotted the dark red blotches against his brown hair. She frowned, but didn't say anything.

"I thought it was pretty cool." Juleka mumbled. "Pretty spooky." Rose shuddered, hating every moment of the experience. For once, Nikolai had to agree with her, it sucked. _Madame_ made the five kids who were lost line up. The tour guide approached them, looking sheepish.

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened today." He started. "I did not preform my duty as your caretaker in the Catacombs and I regret my actions." His words reeked of a scripted apology. Nonetheless, Nikolai was glad to hear one, only for justice's sake. "If there is anything that I can do to make it up to you, please don't hesitate to ask." Nikolai had no quarrel with the man. Sure, he was mad about the whole thing happening, but it was an honest mistake.

"It's okay, _Monsieur,_ " Adrien smiled. "These things happen." Ivan nodded in agreement, stomping off to talk with Alix.

"You'd just hope I forget this ever happened!" Chloé snapped. "I'll have you know that my father's the mayor!" The man, already looking drained, was hit with a wave of terror. "I can make your life hell if I want, just you wait and see!"


	11. Trapped

Nikolai collapsed on his bed, hair splaying over his pillow. The Venetian picked up a book and looked through the pages. Draggo was underneath the bed, shuffling through his hoard.

"Whatcha reading about?" Draggo asked, his voice muffled by the mattress between them. "Griffins or dragons?"

"The Wendigo, actually." Nikolai answered, grimacing at the image of the ghastly beast.

"The fuck is a Wendigo?"

"Native American mythological creature. In Algonquian culture, it is a monster with some characteristics of a human, or as a spirit who has possessed a human being, and made them monstrous. It's historically associated with cannibalism, murder, and insatiable greed." The tiny dragon made a sound of disgust. "Thought to have superhuman strength, speed and instincts, it uses these to hunt for humans to consume." Whilst he had been reading the explanation out loud, a young girl had entered his room, staring at him. " _Si_ , Anettea?"

 _"Where's my comb?"_ Anettea asked, looking at him with accusation.

"I donno," Nikolai shrugged. "Did you check your bedroom?"

 _"Of course I checked my room!"_

"What about the bathroom?" Anettea stamped her foot in annoyance. "Don't be moody."

 _"Of course I checked the bathroom, dummy. And I know YOU lost your comb last week!"_ It was true; Nikolai's comb had mysteriously disappeared the previous week. Nikolai had searched high and low for it, but to no avail. _"That means that you took mine to use!"_ Nikolai closed the book and sat up.

"Anettea, I didn't steal your comb. Why don't you ask mum to look for it?" Anettea shook her head, pigtails flicking over her shoulders.

 _"Mum said she saw it in your room."_ Nikolai rubbed the top of her head, smiling.

"I'll tell you what. I'll look around for your comb and if I can't find it I'll buy you a new one." Anettea sighed, shrugging. She thought that her favourite comb was gone for good, that not even money could buy another one. The girl resigned and left, closing the door behind her. Nikolai cast an eye over where he kept the tools for his own long hair. Most of his bobby pins were still there. Hairbands came and went, there was no use getting sentimental over them. Next to them was where Nikolai kept his collection of ancient coins. Among them was a Drachmas, the currency used by the ancient Greeks. He treasured the silver coin. Searching through the pile, he noticed that it was gone.

"What?" Nikolai raised an eyebrow. Where could have it gone? Mochi didn't take coins. They didn't have a cleaner, who could've swiped it. The only person who _could_ have an interest in them was his father, but he wasn't interested in a single coin.

"Hey Draggo," Nikolai started, the puzzle pieces clicking. "How's that horde of yours going?" The Kwami popped up from underneath the bed, his tiny ears swivelling to pick up sounds.

"Fine?" Draggo answered, tilting his head in confusion. "Why do you ask?" The Venetian turned to him, pacing to the bed.

"May I see it?"

"No way!" Draggo shot. "A dragon's hoard is his business!" Nikolai knelt down at the side of his bed and looked under, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Nikolai could make out the shape of an impressive mound of various trinkets and baubles.

"Dude," Draggo persisted, buzzing in front of his face. "Go away!"

"No," Nikolai batted him away. "My room, my rules!" There were several coins, both modern and ancient at the top of the pile. Several bottle caps salvaged from the recycling bin were abundant. Nikolai reached into the pile, much to the protests of the dragon Kwami. Sifting through the coins and rings was-

"My comb!" Nikolai gasped, pulling out said tool. Another comb was caught in its teeth, following the pulling hand. "And Anettea's…" Nikolai scowled at the Kwami placing his hands on his hips. Draggo pursed his lips, glaring at his human.

"You have just broken the most sacred of dragon laws," Draggo hissed. "Don't ever, _ever_! Go through a dragon's hoard without permission." Nikolai placed his comb on his desk and put Anettea's in the bathroom. The Venetian shook his head at the dragon.

"So long as you're using my room as your cave, and my stuff as your hoard, I overrule that law." Draggo protested, going on about the sacred bond between dragon and Champions, which Nikolai had violated. Nikolai couldn't help but smile as the Kwami went on. As much as Draggo could be a pain, he was pretty cute, in a dopey cat kind of way.

"Nikolai, we leave in an hour. Get ready!" Maria shouted from downstairs. Nikolai replied that he was 'getting dressed'. Better that than to say he was arguing with a tiny dragon that gave him super powers. Duccio had planned to go to an old associate's for dinner, bringing the whole family. That man happened to be Gabriel Agreste. Nikolai was glad to spend more time with Adrien, but the rumours of his father struck fear into him. Apparently he was a ruthless man. Cruel and unforgiving, especially to his son. Nikolai hoped that the night would go smoothly. Besides socialising with what was the social equivalent of drywall, all Nikolai had to do was try to figure out how to wear the Dragon's Anklet under his suit pants.

* * *

The four Moreaus stood outside a set of fearsome black metal gates, dressed in their best clothes.

"Now remember, Mr. Agreste is a man who demands respect," Duccio warned. "Speak in a civil tone and don't look into his eyes for too long, he takes offence." Anettea looked her parents in confusion, how else could she communicate with this man?

"Don't worry, Anettea," Nikolai signed to her, after adjusting the bow in her hair. "You can hang out with Adrien and me. He's super nice!" Anettea smiled at her brother, nodding. Her happiness turned to fear as a strange robotic eye, shot out from the wall.

"Who is it? What do you want?" The robot buzzed in an intimidating voice. "We don't want what you're selling!" Nikolai felt his sister's nails dig into his side, and a tiny dragon float from his jacket pocket.

"The hell is that thing?" The Kwami hissed, baring his fangs.

"It's just a security device, chill." Nikolai whispered as the eye zoomed in on the family. The metal slits folded over the red sphere like it was blinking. That irked Nikolai more than he thought it would. Why would a robot need to blink?

"Do you have an appointment?" The robot voice asked. Anettea hid behind Nikolai, hanging onto his hips tightly.

"Yes we do," Duccio answered calmly. He wasn't even fazed by the robot. "Mr. Agreste has invited to dinner." The eye paused, the human on the other side checking the schedule of the Agreste family. It stared at Duccio, zooming in on his face. Nikolai clenched a fist, angry. The nerve of this man, to intimidate his guests so!

"One moment." The eye buzzed, shooting back into its slot. Would it call security? Release the hounds? Nikolai had often laughed as a kid, watching Mr. Burns from The Simpsons send his dogs after people who bothered him. If Mr. Agreste was planning to do the same, Dragon Fire might need to scare the hounds off. To Nikolai's relief, the metal gates began to grind open. The Maria gave her children reassuring looks as the four of them entered, climbing the stairs to the exquisite mansion.

"I know you don't like Adrien, but I want you on your best behaviour," Nikolai hissed into his jacket, where a Kwami hid. "You be good, and I'll find some shiny teaspoons for your hoard. Deal?"

"Jalapeno?" Draggo squeaked, looking up from the breast pocket.

" _Si_ , and a Jalapeno," the Dragon Kwami nodded enthusiastically, dropping back into the coat. Maria let out a gasp as gargantuan mahogany doors opened to reveal a stunning room of white and black marble. Nikolai was as equally stunned. Even Draggo who was unimpressed by most things, gasped at the sheer beauty of the room. Atop a flight of stairs was a painting of huge proportions. The two subjects of the painting stood in front of it, watching their guests enter.

"Might I present to you Mr. Gabriel Agreste," a young woman started. Nikolai recognised her voice from the robot eye, and when she picked Adrien up from school. What was her name again? Nathalie? The lady motioned her hand to the masters of the estate.

" _Monsieur,_ Mr. and Mrs. Moreau, and their children."

"Thank you, Nathalie." Gabriel grunted as he descended the stairs, proving Nikolai's guesswork correct. "Please prepare some drinks for our guests." Duccio gave a warm, almost overly sincere smile as he offered his hand to the host. Gabriel took it, giving him a firm shake.

"It's been a long time, _Singore_." Duccio smiled. "I trust that you are well?"

"I am," Gabriel answered. "Life is busy, but that's how it should be." Nikolai looked at the two men with a confused look. How did they know each other?

"This is my son, Nikolai." Gabriel turned to him, his stern eyes piercing his very being. The man unnerved Nikolai, his cold exterior and harsh face sending chills down his spine.

"I-it's very nice to meet you!" Nikolai eventually stuttered, offering Gabriel his hand. Gabriel took it, almost crushing Nikolai's hand. The fashion designer locked eyes with Nikolai, squinting. It took all of his nerve to avert from staring into them. "I love your T-shirts!" Gabriel nodded, humming in thought.

"How old is he?" the man asked, turning to his father.

"15," Duccio answered as Nathalie took his coat. "Almost old enough to be initiated." Nikolai blinked in surprise. Gabriel Agreste knew about-

"You see, son," Duccio turned to Nikolai, interrupting his train of thought. "Gabriel is an associate of the Order that I belong to, the Gondoliers. He helps many of our members in France. In fact, you were once offered a position amongst us, weren't you?"

"An offer I had to decline," Gabriel replied. "I'm much too busy to deal with social clubs." Adrien descended the stairs, greeting his classmate enthusiastically.

"Thanks for coming," Adrien smiled. "Father's been wanting to have this night for months! He had to cancel an appointment with the CEO of the Japan branch for tonight." Nikolai almost felt bad. That was no doubt hundreds, if not thousands, of euros lost. Both Maria and Anettea were smiling at the model, excited to finally meet him.

"This is _mia madre,_ Maria-"

"Oh, he's even more handsome in the flesh!" Maria smiled, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks. Adrien gave her his trademark smile. "I hope you like sweets, I made miguelitos!" Maria revealed the huge Tupperware container filled with treats. Adrien's face immediately lit up, and Gabriel's soured.

"Thank you, but Adrien isn't allowed sweets." Nathalie jumped in, taking the container from her. "He's on a very strict-"

"Thank you, Nathalie," Gabriel interrupted, causing her to pause. "These are a gift from our guests. We can have them for dessert." The assistant looked shocked for a microsecond at him, but fluidly took it in stride. Adrien waved Nikolai upstairs as the adults conversed. Anettea followed her older brother, clearly intimidated by their host.

"Does that dude seem like a creep, or what?" Draggo asked, whizzing out from Nikolai's jacket. The Venetian nodded. Nikolai pointed to his hair, beckoning Draggo to hitch a ride, if he so wished. The dragon, as boastful as he was, was incredibly lazy. He took every chance he got to sleep, or sit on his rump.

* * *

Adrien Agreste moved like clockwork, knowing exactly where to go. The mansion seemed like a labyrinth to Nikolai and Anettea.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Adrien smiled, opening the door to his room. Both Moreau children exclaimed sounds of awe as they stepped into the ultimate boy's room.

"This place is kicks arse!" Nikolai gasped. It truly was an amazing room. Multiple arcade machines and D.D.R., an entire story dedicated to books, a rock-climbing wall, basketball hoop, _and_ the best computer and TV setup money could buy. He even had a futsal table. "I can't even imagine how much all this costs." Adrien shrugged modestly, sitting upon the sofa looking outside.

"I'm lucky to have all this," Adrien admitted, watching the little girl as she tried her best to clamber up the rock-climbing wall. Not an easy feat in a dress. "Your sister?"

" _Si_ ," Nikolai nodded. Trying his best to wave her over. "That's Anettea. She's very shy." Adrien nodded, knowing all too well what it was like to be nervous around people. Adrien and Nikolai sat down on in front of the massive TV above his computer and powered up a video game. The classic game of Ultimate Mecha Strike III was a game where Adrien was almost unbeatable, almost.

"You didn't tell your parents about what happened today, did you?" the model eventually asked.

"Of course not," Nikolai answered, almost scoffing. "They were already worried sick about me going. If they found out what happened they'd ground me for a month!" Adrien hummed in thought. _That_ punishment would be lenient if his father ever found out. It was well known by his friends that Adrien's father raised him with an iron fist. Adrien had only been raised with a couple of other children. Chloé was among them, and was extremely close to him. They played in silence, both concentrating on defeating the other in virtual giant robot combat. Adrien had mastered almost every combo in the game, and obliterated the Venetian who was simply button mashing. The first round went to Adrien. Then the second. And the third. Nikolai eventually gave up after ten consecutive defeats.

"You're not very good, are you?" Adrien joked as Nikolai rolled his eyes.

"I was never a video game person as a kid," Nikolai answered, dropping the controller on the couch. "I was a nerdburger, still am!" Adrien laughed, having not heard that phrase in years.

"If you use that terminology, you still are." Nikolai's phone buzzed in his pocket, Adrien paused the game as the recipient pulled the device from his pocket. The caller made Nikolai raise an eyebrow. Juleka Couffaine, no less.

"I'll let you take this," Adrien smiled, pointing to the walk-in wardrobe. Nikolai jogged to the room and answered the call.

" _Allô?"_ Nikolai started. "This is Nikolai."

"Hey," Juleka buzzed on the other side. "How are you?" Nikolai sat upon a stool, listening to the voice on the other side.

"I'm alright," answered he. "And you?"

""Good." Juleka answered, breathing lightly into the microphone. "I just wanted to call to see if you're okay after today." Nikolai smiled. No one else called. No one else checked up on him, only Juleka. That meant a lot to him.

"It was pretty rough, I'll admit." Nikolai admitted. "I'm just glad that I got through it."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Juleka asked. "I saw the blood on your head and…" Nikolai cursed silently. She saw that? He'd been pretty thorough cleaning the blood, lest his mother see. Obviously he was sloppy.

"Oh," Nikolai grunted. "You saw that."

"What happened down there?" she sounded genuinely concerned. Nikolai wanted to tell her, but at the same time it was pretty embarrassing.

"I uh, might've had a panic attack and passed out?" Nikolai explained in a casual tone, passing over the seriousness of what happened. "And I hit my head pretty hard on the way down?" Nikolai had a sinking feeling of humiliation in his chest, and a flare of embarrassment on his cheeks. He felt like this would be the beginning of the end of his friendship with Juleka and Rose.

"I can't believe that happened," Juleka spoke. I'm so sorry you had to experience that." Her reaction was the exact opposite to his fears. Something that he was glad of.

"O-oh! Don't worry about it, I'll live."

"Well you were very brave for pushing through." Nikolai took a sharp intake of breath, his chest tightening up. No one had ever called him brave. He always believed he was a coward. "I mean, that is to say-"

"Thank you," Nikolai cooed. "That really means a lot." There was silence on both ends of the line. Had he gone too far? Did he startle the shy girl?

"Y-you're welcome," Juleka eventually said. "I'm glad that I could help you." Nikolai was smiling like an idiot. For once, someone that wasn't family actually cared about him. If felt nice.

"I'm always here to talk if you need," she continued.

"Yeah! Same to you." Nikolai smiled. "I'd love to stay and chat, really would. Unfortunately I'm having dinner at Adrien's." Juleka gasped. Was tonight a rare occasion? Nikolai knew that Adrien and his father were not the most sociable of people. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, _non_. I just hope _Monsieur_ Agreste is okay company." Nikolai couldn't help but browse through the clothes that Adrien had in his closet. Tuxedos, suits, an arrangement of various shirts and jeans. All of them of the _Gabriel_ brand.

"You and me both," Nikolai agreed. "How did that crusty old man make such a nice son?" The sound of Juleka's laugh filled Nikolai's ear. Nikolai couldn't help but join in. in truth the joke was terrible, but her joy made him happy.

"Nikolai!" gasped she. "Have respect for the man! He's a genius with fashion."

"Never!" Nikolai joked. "Fight the power! Down with the System!" Juleka kept giggling as the Venetian continued to spew sayings that delinquents would shout.

"What a rebel you are! Well I'm really glad that you're okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright, _buona notte_ , Juleka." Nikolai hung up, smiling. He was tempted to just sit there, smiling. He was quick to remember that he was sitting in a wardrobe, in Gabriel Agreste's mansion. He left the room and returned to where Adrien and Anettea were playing. The little girl was trying to communicate with the model, much to his confusion.

"Ah, you're back." Adrien smiled, trotting over to him. "Can you help me? You sister is trying to talk to me?" Nikolai looked at his little sister. She made a flurry of hand gestures, causing them both to laugh and smile. Adrien looked on in confusion as they exchanged more hand movements.

"Is everything okay?" asked Adrien. "I don't know sign language." Nikolai turned to him, bearing a cheeky grin.

"How's your dancing?" Nikolai asked.

"Alright," Adrien answered, scrunching up his face. "Why?"

"Anettea's challenged you to DDR. And she has _never_ lost."

.

.

Most teenagers spent their Friday afternoons after school out socialising. Either relaxing at home or out partying. Nikolai Moreau was spending his eating concrete.

"Ow!" groaned he, emphasising each syllable. Nikolai was in his Dragon Fire form, his face smacking against the top of _l'Arc de Triomphe_. "Pull your strikes!"

"Akumas don't pull their strikes," Chat Noir shrugged, twirling his baton. "It's conditioning." Dragon Fire took his time getting up, hoping the pain in his body fade before he was given another beating. There was a crowd gathered around the roundabout, watching their hero, Chat Noir, fight. Although the news of Dragon Fire arriving to help Chat and Ladybug, many were suspicious of the newcomer. Dragon Fire squared of against Chat Noir. The Venetian charged at the cat, his sword arm straight out. Chat sidestepped the attack, grabbing the arm and throwing Dragon Fire over his shoulder. Before he knew it, Dragon Fire had the wind knocked from his lungs, again. The crowd cheered as Chat won yet _another_ bout.

"Don't put all your weight into one strike," Chat explained, not a hint of humour in his voice or body language. "Again." Dragon Fire stood, pointing his crystal blade at the black cat. Nikolai feinted a jab, but followed up with a spinning slash. As soon as his head was turned, Chat put his Baton around Dragon Fire's neck and pulled.

"Don't turn your head on an opponent," Chat tutted. Dragon Fire spluttered, trying to grasp the sleek metal rod that closed on his windpipe. The Venetian slapped his thigh, begging to be released. Much needed air came into his lungs as Chat pushed him away.

"You're fighting not how you should. What are you?" Dragon Fire looked at him. His blue exquisite tail swished from side-to-side as he pondered the question.

"I'm a human," Dragon Fire answered. Chat Noir put his face in his hand.

"No, you're not." Chat replied harshly. "I am a cat. You are a dragon. Think like one." Think like a dragon? How was that possible? Dragons never existed! They're a figment of people's imaginations. A myth.

"…and how do I do that?" Dragon Fire asked, crossing his arms. "Hoard treasure and capture maidens?" Chat couldn't help but snicker. His unusually cold exterior of this training sessions dropped. The Chat Noir that Paris knew and loved was back again.

"I mean it might help, just hope a knight doesn't come to slay you!" Chat lowered his guard, letting Dragon Fire relax. "When I fight, I use my claws, and agility. What do you have that I don't?" Dragon Fire pondered, humming in thought.

"A GPS on my communicator?" Chat Noir shrugged, nodding slightly.

" _Oui,_ but I wasn't talking about that. Wings. You have the power of flight." Dragon Fire grunted in agreement. The limbs in question rocked as a gust of wind blew down the road.

"But you and Ladybug fly around _la_ _città_ all the time. How can I keep up with that?" the black cat groaned, shaking his head.

"That's short distance. I bet you could fly around the world with those things!" Chat punched his comrade in the arm supportively. Dragon Fire shrugged, forming up again for more training.

* * *

The sun began to set when the Venetian took to the skies. Heat rising from the city kept him airborne, not needing to beat his wings. Things seemed calm in the city. The Parisians had an unspoken pact nowadays. Help one another. Be kind to each other. Any little dispute could spark an Akuma. No one wanted that. Except for Hawk Moth. Dragon Fire's communicator beeped, flashing brightly. The dragon hovered in place while he looked at what was wrong.

"Traps?" Dragon Fire scrunched his brow. "Caged people?" The Ladyblog was what kept Nikolai, in his Miraculous form, constantly updated with local news. Anytime there were strange goings on, or a crime in process, Alya Césaire was on the case. In his eyes she was a godsend. Many-a-crime had been prevented because of her constant vigilance. Dragon Fire turned in the air and headed south for the 14th Arrondissement, _Observatoire._ It wasn't long before Dragon Fire spiralled downwards over a crowded alleyway. Police kept journalists and civilians away from the scene, who only doubled their efforts to get a look when the Miraculous holder landed.

"Who are you?" an officer snapped, glaring at the trespasser.

"My name's Dragon Fire. I'm a Miraculous holder like Ladybug." The Venetian answered. The upkeeper of the law relaxed, letting the teenager through. "I got a report on trapped humans? What can you-" Dragon Fire almost walked on one of the victims. A net made from chain links was draped over a woman, pinning her to the ground. A few feet away, a young boy had his leg in a bear trap. Above them. An elderly man rattled the bars of the metal box that hung in the air.

"This is what the call was for," the police officer said simply, clearly as bewildered as the hero.

" _Merda_ ," Dragon Fire mumbled. "Anyone seriously injured?" the police officer shook his head, squatting down by the boy in the bear trap.

"This wasn't spiked, only holding him in place. Other than mental trauma, a few grazes and bruises." The boy cried, trying to pull his leg from its prison. Dragon Fire frowned, looking to see that besides a constricted ankle, there was no serious injury.

"Let's let them go then," Dragon Fire announced. His hand swiped over the crystal embedded into his right gauntlet. The crystal crackled as it distorted and morphed into a blade and armguard. Dragon Fire flew up to the old man in the cage.

" _Monsieur,_ I'm going to get you out of there." Dragon Fire explained in a calming tone. "Can you please not move?" A nod came from the elder, who held onto the cage bars tightly. His frail hands shook violently, causing the hinges to rattle. Dragon Fire grunted as he took a swing at the door, which fell from the cage and clattered onto the asphalt below. As the Venetian reached in to pull the man out, a evil cackling emanated from all around them. Suddenly a bouquet of tiny canisters hailed the ground. Each one spewed a thick cloud of smoke. The journalists and civilians caused an uproar in between coughs. Dragon Fire covered his mouth and nose, using his wings to try and clear the smoke. When the smoke finally cleared Dragon Fire saw an even worse predicament. All of the people in and around the lab had been trapped! Cages, bear traps, nets and glue pads. Each a maniacal device used to snare people. Dragon Fire was lucky to have been airborne, and avoided getting snatched by the illusive being. Dragon Fire set to breaking as many chains and shackles as he could before the person returned. It wasn't long before more police showed up, clearing civilians out and taking control of the scene. Though the _Police Nationale_ and the _Gendarmie Nationale_ trusted Ladybug and her companions, they convinced Dragon Fire that he should be elsewhere. A notification from the jewel revealed that another crime almost identical to the one he was at had just occurred. Dragon Fire took off and headed straight for it.

"Maybe I'll catch the crook…" mumbled he. If this was some psycho, then he belonged in an institute.

* * *

Another alley. Another half dozen people in cages and snares. Dragon Fire looked around, befuddled. There was no sign of who did it. This must surely be a prank. But the way they had all been snared. And so many people in such short time! Nikolai knew that there had been attacks on Paris by radicalised individuals, could this be them? Either way, he was running out of time. He'd spent too long using Draggo's powers. The Miraculous pondered the motives of the attacks as he flew home, landing on the roof of his apartment building.

"That's enough Draggo," Dragon Fire groaned, stretching his arms. "Unkindle me." A ring of fire washed over him, stopping at the Anklet. The flames turned the dragon-man into a regular teenager. His elongated incisors and coloured sclera were normal again. From the jewel the Kwami flopped out.

"God I'm tired," Draggo yawned, not even phased by the fact he had faceplanted the concrete. His human sat beside him, looking up at the stars fade into the dusk sky.

"We were out for quite a few hours," Nikolai said. "Must've been a struggle you." Draggo looked at the teenager, scoffing.

"Me? Struggle? Hah! I've beaten monsters bigger than this building, child!"

"Sure you have." Nikolai nodded, pretending to believe the Kwami. They sat in silence, enjoying the sunset. Draggo managed to burrow into his human's pocket and steal a jalapeno from a zip-lock bag.

"What do you think all of that stuff was?" Nikolai asked, fiddling on his mobile.

"Psychopaths," Draggo guessed. "Gangs. Who knows? I can tell you that it's not an-"

"Nikolai!" A voice shouted behind him. The teenager jumped, spinning around. At the top of the metal staircase that sat on the side of the building was his father, looking unimpressed.

"Your mother called you for dinner ten minutes ago!" Duccio tutted. What're you doing up here, anyway?"

"The sunset's pretty." Nikolai answered. "I won't do anything dumb up here, don't worry." Duccio frowned before giving his son one last look before descending again.

* * *

It was an ordinary day in the south of Paris. The sun was out, people were moving to and fro, like bees in a hive, and all was peaceful. But from the sewers below, a menace was waiting.

"And now we hatch the second part of the plan!" a voice cackled. The owner of said voice climbed a ladder up to the surface, throwing the cover of the manhole away as if it were no heavier than paper. On the surface, the being looked around. He climbed a parked truck that say nearby, and cleared his throat.

"People of Paris!" the man boomed. "You are mine now. Give me Ladybug and Chat Noir, and I shall spare you!" People stopped to look on at what was happening. Some ran. Others were too dazed by what they saw. "Give them to me!" There was no reply from the civilians. A surveying police officer talked into his transceiver, asking for orders.

"Fine! If you shall not give them to me, you are useless. Vermin!" the strange man thrust a gas mask over his face and reached for a nozzle attached to a bulking tank. From the hose belched out a green fluid, soaking everyone he stood before. The man cackled as the people screamed, their skin burning from the acidic fluids. Those that were still on their feet once the figure had finished showering them were able to see him leap back down into the manhole, underground.

* * *

Over the other side of the city, a bored Italian/Spanish teenager was sitting in the library. In the main lounge his friends were quietly bantering as they played videogames. Nikolai was content reading books.

"Can we go outside?" Draggo asked, stretched out on a hardback book cover. "I need to sun. I want jalapenos!"

"Later," Nikolai replied. "I need to return this book by the afternoon, and I haven't finished it yet." The Kwami groaned, fluttering about the vicinity. Draggo deliberately flew into books and tables, thumping loudly as he did. Nikolai gave the Kwami an odd look, shaking his head. After the months they had spent together, the dragon was still a total mystery to him. Suddenly, the intercom system, beeped. It caused him to jump, looking at the roof accusingly.

"Attention students," _Monsieur_ Damocles' voice buzzed over the speakers. "There has been an unknown attack in the city. The school in under immediate lockdown for your safety, all students are to remain inside until further notice." The younger students panicked, screaming and shouting. A few of the older kids joined them. Nikolai looked at Draggo, who gave him a nod.

"Is it time?"

"Not yet," Nikolai responded, getting up. "Let's see what's going on." Alya was already on her computer, pulling up what was going on.

"My god…" she gasped.

"Lay it on me," Nikolai almost ordered, huddling around her. Along with several others.

"There's this man who comes out of the ground, he shouts something. Then he sprays them with some green goo!" Alya answered, pointing to the live video footage. Nikolai's eyes widened, jaw dropping. "You think it's a terrorist?"

"That's no terrorist," Nikolai explained. "It's an Akuma!"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I rarely update this story, and this is because of a very busy schedule of university, work, and a huge serving of mental illness. I really appreciate you sticking around and reading this, it means the world to me.

I'm trying to think of more fun activities Nikolai and friends can get up to (spoilers) in between Akuma attacks. If you have some ideas you want to share, hit me up with a message! I'd love to hear from you beautiful people 3


	12. Exterminator

Nikolai made a mad dash for the door. If an Akuma was loose he had to destroy it, no matter the cost. Draggo flew alongside the human, eager to throw himself into a fight.

'Hey Nikolai!' Nino shouted, stopping him in his tracks. 'Where ya going? We gotta stay here dude!'

'I uh…' Nikolai started, his eyes shifting quickly.

' _Great,'_ Nikolai thought. _'Now I have to lie to a friend.'_

'I have to hand in my paper to _Madame_ Mendeleiev before lunch is over. _Si_ , I'll see you soon!' With that the Venetian and his Kwami left his confused looking friends and ran out onto the street. Nikolai almost got his by a car as he dashed across the road and into an alley. Not a couple of months before, he tried to save an old man from being mugged in this place.

'Ready?' Nikolai asked, a grin on his face.

'Let's kick some arse!' Draggo beamed, his fangs showing.

'Draggo,' Nikolai shouted. 'Flames up!' the Kwami zipped into the Anklet. The pale gold transitioned to a full, deep shade as the eyes of the dragon and band lit up turquoise. The Anklet burst into flames, which swallowed the young man's body. The flames left a wisp of smoke as they fused magical armour of orange with cream coloured section spanning from his neck to his crotch, to skin and cloth. Nikolai thrust his fists out as the fires changed intensity, forming the crystals on his wine red gauntlets and boots. The gloved hands ran over his hair. The brown hair with red highlights took the shape of red, pointed horns. Nikolai put his hands into an upside down 'V' and pressed it over his eyes. A second passed and a flash of orange light emanated from under the hands. Removing them revealed that a mask with the same colour as the rest of his armour. Long strands of Nikolai's red hair glued itself to his mask, between his eyes. The shape of his eyes had become more reptilian and slanted. The usual white of his eyes was turquoise, like the jewels that adorned him. A woven skirt wrapped itself around his waist, forming both a decorative belt and a long, strong tail. Nikolai roared in pain as he hunched over. The canine teeth in his mouth pushed out from the gums and cracked until they became pointed fangs. His shoulder blades bulged in his armour, pushing the very boundaries of his skin. One final cry of pain and exhilaration came from Nikolai's lips as his back exploded in blood and fire. From the disfigured shoulders came thin, orange bone stretched out of his shoulders, segmenting on three parts at their furthest point. A turquoise crystal jutted out of the hinge, both a weapon and protecting the weakest part of the wings. The sails of the wings folded out from the fingers of the wing bones, the segments of thick hide overlapping each other in segments glued to the bone. When the fire and smoke cleared there was only one man standing there, Dragon Fire. Dragon Fire ran out onto the street spreading his wings as he did, each step he took was followed by a flap of the extra limbs. When he felt himself lifting off, Dragon Fire jumped with great might, propelling himself upwards. The skies were clear as the Miraculous wielder soared to where the news had reported the Akuma was. Dragon Fire zoomed over rooftops, between power lines, over congested roads. It seemed like only a few of the people below him had heard the bad news, most just went about their day as normal. Out of the corner of his eye, Dragon Fire caught sight of a female running across a rooftop and jumping right over the street below, a female in a tight red suit with black polka dots.

'Spots!' Dragon Fire shouted as he glided over to her. 'It's been a while.'

'Spots?' Ladybug raised an eyebrow. 'You know my name, Dragon Fire!' the man in question shrugged, keeping speed with her as she used the inertia from pulling on her yo-yo to go around a corner at breakneck speeds. 'Go home Dragon Fire, I can handle this on my own!' The next thing Ladybug knew, Dragon Fire had grabbed her arm, almost making her fall as she jerked to a stop. 'Wha?'

'I'm only gonna say this once,' Dragon Fire warned, glaring at her. 'I'm a Miraculous holder now. I fight Akumas, whether you like it or not. Remember that the next time someone levels the city!' Ladybug freed her arm, scowling at Dragon Fire. 'I don't give a shit about the romance between you and Chat Noir. You two have that. Just remember that at the end of the day, I'm another body willing to help your fight.' Ladybug looked the Venetian up and down, as if wondering if she could take him in a fight.

'Chat and I aren't a thing,' Ladybug grunted. She threw her yo-yo out and tugged hard once it caught on a chimney. She flew away, off to fight the Akuma. Dragon Fire sighed, spreading his wings to follow.

* * *

Ladybug landed on the far side of the plaza and ran to the Akuma. The man was cackling maniacally as he doused people with the green, acidic fluids.

'Vermin, all of ya!' the Akuma laughed. 'Warpfire will clean you right up!'

'Stop what you're doing!' Ladybug ordered, spinning her yo-yo over her head threateningly. The man was incredibly scrawny, too thin to lift the bulking tank on his back. His hunched over figure jumped as he saw Ladybug. The man looked old, his hair wild and skin wrinkled. His face was obscured by a gasmask with tinted glass. His torso was covered with a literal arsenal of traps, snares, and bombs.

'Aie!' screamed the Akuma as he made a mad dash away from the heroine. The giant tank on his back leaked green fluid as it bounced with each bounce. The Akuma lifted the lid of a manhole by his side and jumped in. the blackness seemed to absorb him, his huge mass fading into the under-streets a gloved hand pulled the cover back on, sealing him below the surface.

'That went well, Dragon Fire tutted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Ladybug scowled at him as she approached the piles of green goo on the tiles.

'Careful,' Dragon Fire put a hand on her shoulder. 'You don't want to end up like them.' The people in question were probably a dozen or so victims of the Akuma's attack. The smell of burning cloth, flesh and hair emanated from them, along with screams of agony. Those that were lucky to avoid being hit by the goo were throwing water upon those who'd suffered, desperate to wash away the fluids. It didn't take long for emergency services to arrive and aid the evacuation and treatment of the wounded.

'It's horrible,' Ladybug gaped, in utter shock. 'This is worse than anything that I've seen before!' Dragon Fire couldn't help but grimace, the horrible smells and sights shaking him to the core.

'We can help them by catching this _coglione_.' The dragon man replied. 'If we stop him now, then there won't be anyone else hurt. Besides, you can heal them with Miraculous Ladybug!' Ladybug nodded in agreement, and she approached the manhole. Ladybug lifted the old metal grate, rolling it to one side.

'C'mon, let's got him!' Ladybug beckoned, starting to climb down. Dragon Fire's eyes widened as he grabbed her arm. no way was he going back underground. Not after that traumatising tour.

'What're you, crazy? That's his lair!' Ladybug scowled, brushing his hand away.

'You just said that-'

'I said that we needed to catch him, not chase him.' Dragon Fire interrupted. 'The sewers are his home ground. He'll know every nook and cranny. Plus I bet he's laying traps as he goes. That way he'd beat us without a fight.' The Miraculous Ladybug thought about this, nodding as she did. To Dragon Fire's relief, she came back to the surface and sealed the manhole again.

'We'll get the Akuma when he's on the surface,' Ladybug instructed, extending the cord of her yo-yo. 'I'll head west, you keep an eye on the east!' With that, Ladybug slingshoted herself upwards and away. Dragon Fire watched her go before deciding to inspect some of the mysterious 'Warpfire', as the Akuma called it. People were in an uproar all around him. Those who had been hit be the substance were screaming as their flesh burnt. Bystanders were calling for water, milk, anything to subdue the burning. The Venetian's heartstrings were pulled in multiple directions. He wanted to help them. It was his duty. But with an Akuma on the loose more people were going to get hurt. Dragon Fire had to reach deep into himself to keep doing what he was. Dragon Fire drew his crystal sword and scooped some up on the end of the fuller. The venetian was careful not to get burnt, but absorbed what was happening. The crystal, like the cobblestone, was not being dissolved. The green goo sat there, stagnant. A midday breeze delivered a feather onto the blade, right where the acid was sitting. As soon as the feather touched the goo, it dissolved with a hiss.

'Odd,' Dragon Fire mumbled. The Venetian flicked the substance from his blade and sheathed it. 'What about this...?' A nearby café, now abandoned, was where his search led him. Taking a discarded piece of bread and cheese, he dropped them into a large puddle of the green fluid. The already reeking acid bubbled as the smell of burnt bread and Camembert joined in Dragon Fire's nostrils. Dragon Fire's brow furrowed. The concrete, stone, and glass seemed to not even be effected by the acid. Yet a feather, bread, cheese, and most horrifyingly, human flesh dissolved like butter on hot toast. Dragon Fire's stomach churned in disgust. Were all Akumas capable of having such deadly powers? The jewel on his left gauntlet began to vibrate, flashing in time to the chime it made. Dragon Fire sheathed his blade and tapped the jewel. The stone embedded in his glove shone radiantly, the light focusing on a flat plane, a touchscreen. Chat Noir's face came into shape.

'Sorry I'm late,' the cat said lightly as he ran. 'I got held up.' His face shrunk to a quarter size of the screen and shifted into a corner. A map of Paris filled the other. There were dozens of icons that Nikolai had programed the coordinates to; Home, school, but more importantly than those locations were the GPS locations of his friends and family. If an Akuma, which were automatically marked once the news had identified an of them, was near anyone he cared about, he could rescue them.

'This guys a bit slippery!' Ladybug's voice buzzed as her face phased in below Chats. 'Did you manage to get him, Dragon Fire?'

'Not yet,' answered he. 'I was doing some testing on the goop that he shoots. It's highly acidic, but only to organic matter.' Ladybug gasped, her eyes widening in shock. 'Brick and metal aren't affected by it. Skin, hair, bone, it'll burn through it in an instant.'

'Then we've got to get this guy ASAP!' Chat Noir declared. The map next to the hero's faces flashed red. A black and purple butterfly icon had show up east of his position. Dragon Fire spread his wings and lifted off.

'My map says he's on _Rue de l'Arrivée_. I'll rally with you there!' A black paw and red (with black spots) circle were already heading that direction on the map. Dragon Fire took a running start to his take off as Ladybug zipped overhead.

'What's the plan?' Dragon Fire asked.

'No matter what we do, the Akuma keeps getting into the sewers,' Ladybug explained. The girl thudded onto a rooftop with a grunt and sprinted across the tiles. 'We've got to corner him and then I'll use Lucky Charm!' Dragon Fire nodded, pushing every knot he could out of the winds he soared upon. A fierce determination burnt in the eyes of all three heroes. People had already been horribly injured, possibly killed. No more. Not another Parisian would be harmed. For the first time, Dragon Fire actually felt scared.

* * *

As they got closer to _Rue de l'Arrivée,_ Chat Noir joined the other heroes in their mad dash.

'What's that smell?' the cat asked, scrunching up his nose. How would a boy who's upbringing was one of comfort know the smell of pestilence and decay?

'Burning flesh and bone,' Dragon Fire answered. Chat Noir gawked momentarily, before the stench overcame him again.

'His own, or other peoples?' the look in Ladybug's eyes gave him the answer that he had feared. 'Let's make sure that no one else gets hurt!'

'Hooah!' Dragon Fire responded, soaring ahead of the others. The Venetian thumped onto a rooftop with such force that the shingles beneath him cracked, a few falling from their placing. His keen eyes took on the scene below him. Civilians were running from the villainous old man. The Akuma's weapon was spewing warpfire at anything in his way. Trees, cars, humans, it mattered not. All were given a bath in the foul substance. One police officer stood alone against the Akuma. Brandishing only a pistol, he threatened the Akuma to stand down. The old man's horrible cackling laugh resonated through the street. The officer's first shot hadn't even made it into the target before it was washed away in warpfire. The police officer soon met the same fate. Sizzling rung in the ears of those who could hear. A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. The sting of burning hair and skin filled the nostrils all around. The green shape's cries mercilessly stopped, leaving behind only bones and metal objects. The Akuma cackled, performing a jig over the bones. Dragon Fire roared in rage, punching his fists together.

'You'll pay for that you _bastardo!'_ the Venetian swiped his hand over the jewel on his right gauntlet. The gem crackled and splintered, forming a deadly, fine blade. The Venetian's wings shot out, each segmented part catching the breeze. Dragon Fire leapt up into the air, ready to cut down the Akuma.

'Wait!' Ladybug cried, grabbing onto his tail. Dragon Fire jerked back, stumbling back onto the rooftop.

'What?' Dragon Fire snapped. 'We've gotta take this thing down!' Chat Noir's baton extended up, followed to a black cat clinging to the pole. Ladybug grabbed Chat's hand, pulling him up onto the roof.

'We can't just throw ourselves at him recklessly, otherwise he'll just run away again! We need a plan.' Dragon Fire grumbled, snatching his tail from her hand. Every second that they wasted meant more people getting hurt. It meant more deaths.

'Fine,' the dragon grunted. 'What's the plan?' Chat Noir looked on in horror. It was the first time he had seen the Akuma, and the horrors it brought. The old man carrying a flamethrower, belching out green goo. People fleeing as the liquid burnt the flesh from their bones.

'Chat, can you distract him? I'll stand by the manhole so he can't get away.'

'One distraction, coming up!' Chat gleamed, jumping from the roof with a cat-like yowl.

'Dragon Fire. Once the Akuma's taken the bait and I'm in position, hit him from above.'

'Now we're talking!' the Venetian nodded, leaping from the rooftop. A _fwomp_ was heard as his wings shot out and he flew upwards.

* * *

The Akuma cackled hysterically, watching as people fled from him. He walked at a slow pace, the tank on his back rattling with each pace. Chat Noir wove his way around the Akuma, slipping through the crowds. A woman recognised the hero and grabbed his shoulder, pleading for help. The cat assured her that everything would be okay, flashing her his winning grin. The cat dived over the hood of a car and took cover. He used the reflection of his baton to view where the Akuma was. The monster paced down the street, leering in all directions, as if hunting for more humans. Chat Noir took a deep breath, gripping his weapon tighter. Rolling to the next car, making as little noise as possible. If he were seen, this would end horribly. Either the Akuma would escape or he'd end up as a pile of goo. The cat glanced up, he saw a black shape circling above the buildings. The shape did a flip, as if signalling him to go ahead. Chat Noir waved in response as he climbed onto the roof of a truck. Chat put his fingers to his mouth, wolf whistling at the Akuma. The old man snapped around.

'Now I know that you want to kill some vermin, but have you tried in the sewers?' Chat Noir asked in a teasing tone. Once again the Akuma jumped in fright as the black cat jumped from the roof of the truck and paced towards the villain. 'I hear that the rodents down there can get pretty ratty!' Dragon Fire couldn't help but roll his eyes. Chat had the occasional good pun, _that_ one was not one off them.

'You'll never catch the Exterminator!' cackled the Akuma as he ran for a nearby manhole. Chat gave chase, but not even he could match the Exterminator's speed. Despite having such a scrawny old, disfigured body and the huge contraption attached to his back, Exterminator was wily and dexterous in tight situations. A gust of wind whooshed as Dragon Fire swooped down on Exterminator. The Akuma squealed in fright as the Venetian charged him, sword drawn. The Akuma skidded to a halt as he stumbled and fell over himself.

'Got you now!' Dragon Fire goaded as aimed his sword at the villain's heart. But in that moment, where there should have been fear in the Akuma's eyes, there was only joy, like a predator trapping its kill. From the depths of his coat, Exterminator pulled out a brown ball the size of an apple. A high pitched grunt came from him as he hurled it at Dragon Fire. The orb bounced off of his chest and opened up into a flat sheet of metal and timber. The device clung to him like a barnacle to rock, as it began to unfold and push into dozens of nerves along the dragon man's body. Dragon Fire could only grunt in surprise as he was forcibly put to its knees, with his arms locked behind him. His wings and mouth had been clamped down too. The Venetian could only look on in despair as Exterminator got up and loomed over him.

'Another rodent to taste my warpfire!' grinned he. The neon purple outline of a mask appeared on the Akuma's face.

'I don't know who this is,' a voice hissed. 'Kill him, and take Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculouses!' The Akuma nodded and aimed the barrel of his warpfire thrower directly at Dragon Fire's head. If Dragon Fire could use his mouth, his heart would be leaping out of it. The Venetian grunted as he struggled, which only resulted in the springlocks and screws tightening and digging into his scaled suit. The tank on Exterminator's back grumbled to life, pumping the green acid through the hose. Dragon Fire closed his eyes, resigning.

' _This is it, I guess,'_ the trapped Venetian thought. _'At least I can die like a man: fighting till the end.'_ Just as Exterminator pulled the trigger, Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped itself around the hose and yanked hard. The Akuma gasped as the green fluid whisked past his target by a hair's width. Chat Noir stood between hostage and captor, swirling his baton around to protect Dragon Fire from more attacks. The Akuma, now cornered, reached again into his coat. He pulled out a small handful of pellets from his coat and threw them on the ground. A thick, black cloud of smoke burst from each of the pellets, blinding everyone in the square. Ladybug and Chat Noir covered their faces, coughing the ilk from their lungs. There was a snapping of metal, followed by Exterminator's cackling laugh, receding as the smoke cleared.

'What the?' Chat gasped. The Akuma was gone, with nothing but a knotted yo-yo left where he stood. 'He got away!'

'Not if I can help it,' Ladybug retorted. 'Lucky Charm!' Dragon Fire and Chat Noir looked up as her yo-yo spun in the air, summoning whatever magical item it would to assist them.

'Duct tape?' Chat asked as a huge roll of ladybug patterned binder landed in her palms. 'I think we're already in a sticky position as it is!'

'Mmph…' a gagged Dragon Fire groaned, glaring at Chat Noir. Now was not the time for puns. Every time he breathed, the snare became tighter. Ladybug looked around at her surroundings, cooking up a plan in her head. The Venetian could hear screams the next block over, most likely that of Exterminator's newest victims.

'I've got it!' the heroine announced. She dashed over to a manhole and taped the cover to the road. 'If we can cut off his escape routes, then he'll have to face us!'

'Brilliant as always, m'lady!' Chat Noir beamed, bowing to his lady. 'Oh, if only there was some way that I could show you how much I appreciate you…' The cat leaned in, closing his eyes and puckering his lips. A kiss was all he wanted, but he never received it. The Miraculous Ladybug rolled her eyes, prodding his nose with her finger.

'Not now kitty, we've got to deal with this Akuma!' Chat nodded, following her.

'Mmph!' Dragon Fire grunted. 'Mm mmph phmm!' the pair stopped, looking at him.

'You get him out of there, I'll go seal up more manholes. Try not to use Cataclysm though, we may need it!' Ladybug threw her yo-yo out and zipped away. Chat looked at Dragon Fire, baffled at how to release the captive. Dragon Fire could only look at him with pleading eyes.

'Lets try this!' Chat Noir pulled out his baton and swung at the device. The staff bounced off with a metallic thud. Dragon Fire grunted in pain, glaring at Chat Noir. Each strike yielded the same result, the jolts tightening the springlocks. Chat Noir pulled on the nucleus of the trap, the orb that first hit Dragon Fire. The trapped hero groaned in pain, with each tug he could feel the screws digging further into his flesh. Chat kept at it though, ignoring the screams from his apprentice.

'I'm stumped,' Chat panted, sitting down next to Dragon Fire. 'I know what'll cheer you us though, a joke! So two fish are swimming along. They hit a wall.' Dragon Fire rolled his eyes, begging for an end to this torture. 'One turns to the other and says: "Damn!"' Chat laughed, slapping his knee. Dragon Fire could only let out a muffled scream. The pain of the screws, along with shitty jokes, was an all-new kind of torment.

* * *

Ladybug tried her best to follow Exterminator. Every time she saw him, he would leap into a manhole, evading capture. At least whenever she missed him, she sealed another manhole. The tracker on her yo-yo went berserk whenever he popped up from the underground. It wasn't hard to find him; all she had to do was follow the screams and police sirens. Over rooftops did the heroine fly, trying to catch the wicked Akuma. By her lonesome, this beast would be difficult to take down. She hoped that Chat Noir would rejoin her, regardless of whether or not he freed Dragon Fire.

'He was only getting in the way,' she mumbled to herself. She looked over a shopping mall, her yo-yo told had told her the Akuma was here. But there was no sign. The citizenry had fled, with only police and security guards patrolling for the Akuma. One officer, Roger Raincomprix, saw her on the building above.

'All clear here, Ladybug!' the policeman waved. 'We're cornering him down on _Rue Daguerre_.' It was a brilliant place to trap the Akuma; small, only a couple of manholes, and easy to seal off. Ladybug dialled up Chat on her phone, tapping her foot impatiently as the dial rang.

'Everything okay?' Chat asked as he picked up.

'The police are planning to trap Exterminator on _Rue Daguerre._ Head there now!'

'On it.' Chat hung up, putting his baton back in his belt. The cat looked at his feet. Kneeling there was a still trapped Dragon Fire. The Venetian looked at the cat with desperate eyes.

'Meph don eph bee…' the muzzled Dragon Fire managed to mumble, translating to ' _Please don't leave me.'_ Chat Noir grimaced, feeling conflicted. It was his duty to be by Ladybug's side and take down the Akuma. But to leave a friend when they need him, if it was in his power, he'd make sure that never happened. An Akuma such as Mr. Pigeon or Lady Wifi was one threat that could be dealt with solo. Exterminator was a whole other calibre of danger who had left dozens dead in his wake.

'I'm sorry,' Chat Noir sighed, patting Dragon Fire on the shoulder. The captive winced as once again, the springlocks and pins pushed deeper into his armour. 'I'll come back for you!' Chat sprinted away, extending his baton and using it to vault himself over buildings.

* * *

Ladybug put her hands on her hips, satisfied with her work. Another manhole had been sealed, stopping the illusive Exterminator from popping up to the surface and attacking innocent civilians. Chat Noir had confirmed that he was waiting at the position. Her yo-yo rang. She frowned at the number. It wasn't one that she recognised.

'Hello?' Ladybug said, putting the yo-yo to her ear.

'It's me,' a voice with a thick Italian accent replied. 'Thanks for leaving me back there. _Really_ appreciate it!' Ladybug groaned, hunching over slightly.

'I'm sorry, Dragon Fire. We had to keep on Exterminator's tail!' Ladybug explained.

'How'd you get out, anyway?' Chat Noir asked as he joined the group call. 'I didn't use my powe-'

'The _Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris_ happen to own a buzz saw.' Dragon Fire snapped. 'No thanks to you two. Anyway, I got a plan: have you sealed all of the manholes yet?'

'No,' Ladybug answered. 'But I already have a plan.'

'Which is?' the sound from Dragon Fire's communicator was deafening, the sound of wind blasting the microphone.

'Cover them all up and… go underground to confront him?'

'Where I can't fly, there's no room to use your yo-yo, and it's no doubt riddled with traps and waprfire? No thank you.' There was a thud of metal behind Ladybug as Chat Noir landed on a car roof.

'Okay then smart guy, what's your idea?' Ladybug snapped. Chat Noir occupied himself by helping civilians towards medical professionals and washing away the acid from the people's bodies.

'Leave two manholes open. I go to one and use my power and make…him, breath fire into the pipes. Exterminator will be forced out the other open manhole, where you two can ambush him!' Ladybug pouted, tilting her head to one side.

'That's actually not a bad idea,' Chat Noir admitted. 'Hurry before the Exterminator hurts anyone else!'

'He can't use his power,' Ladybug protested. 'Remember what happened last time?' A pang of guilt stabbed Dragon Fire in the chest. That night was fresh in his memory. The Akuma known as Janitor was rampaging around Paris, using his overly large cleaning appliances to scrub the dirt, and people, from the city. Nikolai had only been given the Dragon's Anklet a scant hour before. He knew not the powers he possessed when he asked Dragonheart to "Defeat his foe", he expected the fire elemental to only incapacitate him, not leave the person a smoking pile of ash! But that was the first time he'd become the hero. This was different. The Venetian would not make the same mistake. Not _ever_ again.

'The police told me of their ambush their setting up. How are they actually gonna _get_ the Akuma out of the sewers? It's not like we can starve him out. We have to force his hand!' Ladybug proceded to go one about he was inexperienced as a superhero and that he couldn't just act so brash and rougish. _Too_ _risky,_ she called his plan. _Too dangerous._ Dragon Fire was ignoring the most part of it. As she lectured, Dragon Fire was using his infrared vision to scan where Ladybug had sealed up entrances to the sewers. Thankfully there was one she missed on the edge of the Seine. A good as a place as any to summon a gargantuan dragon spirit that was made of fire.

'I'm sorry m'lady,' Chat shrugged, looking apologetically at her. 'I have to agree with Lizard Boy on this. It's the best-'

'Lizard Boy?' Dragon Fire interrupted. 'Fine, whatever. I'm in a position where I can summon my power safely, on the riverbank. Does that make you happy?' Ladybug groaned, mumbling to herself angrily.

'Fine. But I'm about to detransform so either wait for me to come back or we do this within three minutes!' Ladyug disconnected from the call, leaving Chat Noir and Dragon Fire to fight the Akuma.

'We can't take this guy down without her.' Chat started.

'Why's that?' Dragon Fire asked. He paced by the sewer entrance, making sure that the Akuma didn't escape from his end. The Venetian drew squiggles in the mud with his tail, a wispy line traced.

'Only Ladybug can purify an Akuma. It's the only way that we can destroy an Akuma without it coming back.' The Venetian hummed in thought. This was both enlightening and concerning news. What if Ladybug was injured in a fight? What she and him got into a fight? What if she wasn't there when Chat Noir and him fought an Akuma?

'Do we know where that arsehole bug is?'

'When I got close to him I saw an ID badge of a normal guy. That must be where the Akuma is!' Dragon Fire nodded, his head bobbing to each side.

'It's as good of an idea as any I guess. Do we know who the person is?' The cat and the dragon hummed in thought simultaneously. 'What did the man in the ID photo look like?'

'Oldish. Grey hair, thinning hairline. I think he had a moustache?'

'Did he have a mole on his chin!?'

' _Oui!_ You know him?'

'I think he might've been my tour guide… My class at school has a tour into _Catacombes de Paris_. A group of us got lost and the mayor's daughter got caught in a trap set for feral animals. If it's him, I'm guessing he got fired and…' Chat was silent on the other side of the phoneline. Was he meditating on the theory? Had something caught the cat's attention? Little did Nikolai know that Chat Noir had actually been there and witnessed the whole thing. Dragon Fire had just confessed to him that his identity was that of a fellow student of _l'Collège Françoise Dupont_.

'Sorry about that!' A female voice chirped as she connected to the call. Dragon Fire couldn't help but smile slightly at Ladybug's voice. As mean as she was to him, she was a heroine, a true paragon. 'Are we doing this?'

'Ready and waiting!'

'Do it!' Chat Noir shouted. Dragon Fire breathed in deeply through his nostrils, pushing one fist to the sky.

'DRAGONHEART!'

* * *

The Anklet burst into flames burning at molten temperatures. The fires shot up the Venetian's body, consuming him whole. The inferno spun around him like a tornado of fire. The flames left his body and shot above him, forming an orb. The flames spun in all directions like a torrent, the ball compressing in eerie cracks. Suddenly the ball exploded with an ear-splitting roar, hatching into a gargantuan dragon. The ground quaked with the sound, and the tiles shattered as its feel crashed down. The impact caused Dragon Fire to fall back. The fire elemental stood mighty and proud as it stared at its master. The nerdy side of the Venetian was orgasming at the moment. Standing right beside a _real_ dragon!

'Ordurzzzz…' Dragonheart rumbled, smoke flowing from his nostrils. Dragon Fire gulped, the lump in his throat swallowing down.

'Breathe fire down this pipe,' Dragon Fire ordered. The dragon trod towards the pipe and unhinged its jaw. An alien-like suction noise cane from Dragonheart's mouth, right before flames flooded from his mouth.

* * *

Ladybug stood upon a rooftop, gawking at the sight before her. Across the _Arrondissement,_ pillars of fire burst from the manholes. The metal lids stayed in place, the duct tape Ladybug used keeping them in sealed. Both Chat Noir and her stared at the one open manhole, grim looks of determination on their face. The pair had cooked up a plan to take out the Akuma smoothly: as soon as he came to the surface, Ladybug would snare his warpfire thrower with her yo-yo. Chat would use Cataclysm on it, destroying the Akuma's weapon.

'Get ready…' Chat hissed, gripping his baton tightly. Ladybug whirled her weapon over her head, ready to pounce. Shrill screaming could be heard from the manholes. The lid of one was thrown aside as a burst of inferno shot up like a geyser. Riding the flames was Exterminator, crying as his rear end was singed. The Akuma faceplanted on the pavement and fumbled to get up. 'Now!' Ladybug's yo-yo was already out and hurtling to the Akuma. The yo-yo wrapped itself around the barrel of the infernal device and Ladybug tugged tightly. Exterminator yelped, tugging back. Chat Noir loped towards him, brandishing his claws.

'Cataclysm!' called he. A black orb formed and popped in the cat's palm, spreading a negative energy throughout the hand. Chat Noir pressed the hand against the warpfire thrower. Exterminator cried in anguish as his weapon turned to rust, disintegrating before him. The Akuma, realizing that he'd fallen right into a trap, fled. The wily old man was even faster now that he didn't have to carry the thrower. Chat Noir and Ladybug gave chase to the Akuma. Police poured into the street to tackle down the fleeing Akuma. They'd barricaded the exits of the street and half a dozen officers stood at the far end. They were easily thwarted with a bed of caltrops and smoke bombs. Ladybug and Chat Noir ran up the side of a building, bypassing the incapacitated police. Exterminator had lead them to an open square. Civilians saw what was going on and did their best to get out of the way. Many stood far away, curious to see what was going to happen. Ladybug jumped down from the rooftops, her yo-yo whirling around. Chat brandished his baton like a greatsword as they approached him.

'Give up already,' Ladybug ordered. 'You've already lost!' Exterminator cackled, his eyes darting in all directions.

'I'm just getting started!' Exterminator growled, his hands fidgeting on his belt. 'Get a load of this!' Exterminator punched the tank on his back. It rumbled to life, causing the man's body to sway from side to side. The Akuma put on his gasmask as the top of the tank lifted. Several yellow projectiles were lobbed from inside, shooting into the crowds. Thick clouds of yellow smoke billowed from each of the pods. People screamed and ran, but dozens fell where they were, chocking on the gas. Police officers and paramedics helped people to escape and tried to retrieve the fallen. Such bravery in a time of horror was only rewarded with their deaths, suffering the same fates as those they wished to save. Ladybug and Chat Noir looked on horror. There was no way that they could engage the Akuma up close, and they could be easily taken down by one of those gas pods.

'What do we do?' Chat asked. 'This isn't looking good!' Ladybug didn't respond, backing away from the horrible gas.

'Die! Die! DIE!' Exterminator laughed, launching more of the gas orbs from the vat on his back. Ladybug looked truly terrified, her yo-yo hanging limply at her side. The morale hung by a thread, the tiniest scare would make her rout. She screamed as Chat Noir grabbed her wrist.

'Stay with me,' Chat purred. His green eyes glowed in the early afternoon sun. The cat squeezed her wrist reassuringly. 'It's just like any other Akuma. We can-' A shadow whizzed over the heroes, Chat squinted up as the wind screamed above them. From the skies, a black shape grey larger, hurtling towards the ground. Dragon Fire swooped down onto the Akuma, his talons ripping into the collar of Exterminator's coat.

'No, _you_ die!' Dragon Fire glowered, ripping off the badge on his coat. The Akuma struggled against him, clasping onto the badge. Dragon Fire managed to tear the vessel for the moth from the monster, jumping off of the Akuma.

'No!' Exterminator wailed, dropping to his knees. The Venetian's lungs filled with the toxic gas, burning his insides. Dragon Fire lobbed the badge at Ladybug as he clutched his throat. The very fire that Dragonheart breathed couldn't match the burning pain that his eyes, lungs, and throat felt. Ladybug caught the badge and tore it in half. A black and purple moth fluttered from the remains, struggling to get to the sky.

'No more harm for you, little Akuma,' Ladybug said, dragging a line across her yo-yo. It opened up and revealed a pool of white light. Ladybug spun it around her body, a halo forming around her. 'I'm freeing you from evil!' The yo-yo of light was slung at the moth, enveloping it as the device closed in on it. 'Gotcha!' The Miraculous Ladybug beamed as she caught the device. She released the shackles of the Akuma, letting lose a pure white butterfly.

'Bye-bye, pretty butterfly.' She waved off the bug, watching it flutter away. Her Lucky Charm, the duct tape was still on her belt. She took it off and threw it into the sky. 'Miraculous Ladybug!' the roll of duct tape exploded into a cloud of red and black dots that swarmed over the city. Duct tape was removed. Anything that was damaged had been repaired. The warpfire and gas vanished. Exterminator's traps faded. All was well once again.


End file.
